Truths, Candor and Healing Hearts
by nherbie
Summary: Sequel to Lies, Deceptions and Broken Hearts. Deeks is back but how fares his relationship with Kensi? Dedicated to honus47!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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A/N – Honus47 who had been asking me for a sequel to Lies, Deceptions and Broken Hearts for a while now. This is for you Joni!

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They had been together again for three weeks and Deeks noticed that Kensi had become, not clingy exactly, but…inquisitive. Whenever he would leave she needed to know where he was going and when he would return. After the first week, he explained to her he was all done running and not to worry about him leaving. After that things settled down into an everyday routine.

Currently, he leaned against the wall, watching her, a neutral expression carefully pasted on his face. Inside he was screaming to go to her, partly to help her, partly to encourage her, but he knew it wouldn't be welcomed, either by her or by the Physical Therapist. Instead, he stayed where he was and watched her painfully moving step by step, her hands gripping the parallel bars in white knuckled determination, each leg dragged forward in a stumbling step, the sweat dripping off her face. When she reached the end, she practically collapsed into the waiting wheelchair and he finally pushed off from his place, striding towards her with a smile on his face.

"You did it Kens! You did it!"

"Did what? _Dragged_ myself a few feet? What the hell good is that?" She snarled at him. The therapist walked away to give them some privacy.

He didn't take offence because this time he was prepared. They'd been going to counseling together. A weird combination of grief, couples and rehabilitative counseling. They'd both shared things that they'd never told anyone before. He of his violent father and she of her time on the streets after losing the father she loved above all else. With each shared memory, they developed a better understanding of the other, what drove them, what made them who they were. The counseling was also helping them deal with a possible future where she was in this wheelchair for the rest of her life. He knelt down in front of her and put his right hand on her left knee, squeezing a little. "It _is_ good Kensi, you know that! A few weeks ago, what you just accomplished would have been impossible."

She sighed and searched his face, looking for lies but only finding sincerity and, thankfully, love. He'd been back a little over four weeks and they were both working hard on repairing the damage she'd caused when she'd told him she didn't love him, shivering a little as she remembered the nasty things she'd said to him, remembering the hurt on his face before he'd turned and walked out of her life. It had taken just over a week of her groveling, apologizing and making promises before he finally agreed to try again. The fact that he _had_ agreed to give her a second chance was something she wasn't sure she really deserved and she'd vowed to herself to spend the rest of her life making him glad he had. She swallowed her frustration and lifted her hands to frame his face. "I do know it, but it's so frustrating!" She said softly. "I just want to get better and go home."

He brought his hands up to cover hers, turning his head a little to the left to kiss her right palm, turning to the right to repeat the gesture on the left one. "You will get better and you will go home! You just need to be patient."

"I know and I'm trying. I'm sorry I yelled at you."

"You can yell at me all you want, just don't ever give up!"

This time a smile graced her face. "Well, I guess not being able to go home is a blessing in disguise, seeing as I don't seem to have one at the moment." She gently teased him.

He sighed a little. He'd been looking for another place for them, one that could be made handicap friendly if she didn't regain full use of her legs, something he hadn't shared with her, determined to always be positive for her. It was hard at times but she looked to him for strength and he gave her every bit he had. He was still living with Callen but he was afraid he would wear out his welcome soon enough, although he wasn't there much during the day as he was either out house hunting or here at the hospital with her. He still hadn't resolved his job situation either. Hetty and Granger were both haunting him about becoming an NCIS agent, with Sam, Callen and the wonder twins backing them up. It felt good to be wanted but he still wasn't sure if he wanted to go back into law enforcement and he sure didn't want to go back to being a lawyer.

"Deeks? It's okay, you'll find us something. I know you will." She called him back from wherever he'd just gone to.

"I know but I just can't seem to find something we'd both like and that will allow dogs. I'd like a place with a fenced in yard for Monty. I just wish our old place hadn't rented out so quickly."

She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips, knowing that he still felt guilty about packing up the house and giving up the lease. He'd gone back to their realtor, Rosemary Lock, as soon as they'd agreed to try again. She'd had to tell him their old place was already gone and was now trying hard to find them a new one, but nothing was available that fit all their needs. "I have so much to apologize to you for. I'm sorry I drove you away like I did! I will be forever grateful that you came back to me. I'm going to get better and walk out here with you by my side. That's all that matters, not where we live."

He smiled at her, happy to hear a more positive Kensi. "I know but I'm really not looking forward to living with Callen until I'm old and grey!"

She laughed. "Does he still get up at night and take things apart? Sam warned me years ago, before he bought that house. I was going to offer him my spare room and Sam said not to. Said he'd be up at all hours of the night either doing that or practicing his Russian."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, it's amazing how little sleep that man can get by on. I don't know how Joelle put up with it." They were both saddened when Callen and Joelle had broken up but it was for the best if they weren't right for each other.

They were interrupted when the therapist came back. "Kensi? It's time to return to your room."

"Okay Chelsea. Thank you." Kensi replied as Deeks stood up and took his place behind the chair, pushing her back to her room.

When they got there, the two of them helped her get back into the bed. She yawned widely and blinked a few times. He looked at his watch. "Why don't you get some sleep? I have to go anyway. I have an appointment with Rosemary in a half hour to look at yet _another_ place."

"I wish I could go with you."

"I know you do. I'll send you pictures so you can see what it looks like, per usual." He leaned down and kissed her. Her hands came up and buried themselves in his hair as she deepened the kiss. When they both came up for air he grinned at her. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to keep me here."

She laughed and pushed him away. "Go! Find us some place wonderful to live so I have something to look forward to!"

"I'll do my best. I'll see you later, try to get some rest." He kissed her again and left.

An hour and a half later, he sat in his car feeling thoroughly depressed. This house wouldn't work either. Far from having a fenced in yard for Monty, there was no yard at all, the houses so close together there would be little to no privacy. The rooms were small and he'd felt claustrophobic the entire time he'd been inside. He hadn't even bothered to take the promised pictures for Kensi. He knew Rosemary was trying but he had a limited budget and the market was driving up the rent on the kind of place they wanted and buying was out of the question considering his current state of unemployment. He sighed and rubbed his face. He'd hoped to have better news for Kensi. He knew she was waiting to hear how it had gone and pulled out his phone.

"No go." He texted her.

A few moments later his phone chimed. "It's okay, we'll find something sooner or later."

He had to smile at the words but the smile didn't last long. He was afraid it was going to be later and he was tired of looking. He closed his eyes and leaned back into the head rest. He should get going but he just didn't have the energy right now. His thoughts wandered back over the events of the last month. He'd reacted badly, stupidly even, and run. Run almost to his death on that boat. He still had nightmares where the boat was torn apart or where Reuben hadn't been able to get him back on board, coming awake with a gasp just as he started to drown. He hadn't told Kensi about what had happened, just that he'd spent some time with an old friend who'd helped him put things in perspective. He supposed he shouldn't be so depressed. Other than the housing and job situations, things were going well. They were back together and getting stronger every day. He still had the ring but hadn't asked her again, wanting the time to be right and for them to be in the best place possible, to be sure that she didn't say yes out of some misguided guilt. The swelling on her spine had gone down and just look at what she'd accomplished today, walking on her own. His phone rang, pulling him away from his thoughts. He looked at the caller id and a small smile graced his face.

"Hi Hetty."

"Mr. Deeks, it's good to hear your voice."

"Yours too. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you would have to time to stop by The Mission today?"

He looked at his watch. He could drop by and still get back to the hospital to have dinner with Kensi, as long as it didn't take very long. "Sure. What's up?" He asked again.

"I'll tell you when you get here."

"Oookayyy." He drew out, knowing her well enough that he wouldn't get it out of her if she didn't want to say.

"When can you get here?"

He calculated the distance he would need to drive and responded. "I should be able to be there in about forty minutes."

"Good, very good. I'll see you when you get here."

"See you in a bit." They hung up and he stared at the phone for a minute, wondering if he should have agreed. It was probably just another lecture about why he should become an agent and put an end to his days of unemployment. He'd thought about it but he'd have to go to FLETC and, while the closest one was in New Mexico, it didn't offer all the classes he would need to take to become a full agent. Which meant he would have to go to Georgia and be apart from Kensi for close to two months. Of course, with him being away and her still in the hospital, it would temporarily ease the urgency of finding somewhere to live. He shrugged and started up the car, pointing it towards the place he'd felt most at home in for the first time in his life. Maybe he would let her talk him into it.

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

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Deeks walked into the Mission with three minutes to spare from the estimated time he'd given Hetty. He was surprised at the feeling of coming home. He hadn't realized just how much he missed being here. Hetty wasn't at her desk and he wandered into the bull pen. It felt empty and wrong. He was staring at Kensi's desk when he was startled by a hand clasping his shoulder as a voice boomed out. "Deeks, man! Are you back? Why didn't you say something Friday night?"

He turned and grinned at his friend Jim Franklin and shook the proffered hand. "Hey Jim! No, I'm not back, just came in at Hetty's request, not even sure what she wants. Do you know where she is?"

Jim's face fell. "No, haven't seen her in a while. You sure you aren't coming back? This place just isn't the same without you."

"I'm still weighing my options, trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up."

Jim laughed. "Hell man, when you figure out how to do that, let me know, will you?"

Deeks laughed back. "Sure thing Jim, you'll be the first to know."

Jim looked at his watch and sighed. "Look, I gotta run, but let's get together again soon, okay? I had a great time Friday night!"

"Me too! I'll definitely be in touch." He watched his friend sprint through the Mission and the sudden quiet felt eerie. He moved over to what used to be his desk and was somewhat surprised to see that it was still empty. It appeared they hadn't even temporarily replaced him yet and he felt a little thrill of anticipation. For a long time, he'd felt he'd finally found his niche and it had hurt when he'd thought he'd been lying to himself. Before he got too maudlin at how he'd blown this job by reacting so strongly to Kensi's rejection of him, his attention was caught by the sound of feet pounding down the stairs from the upper level and turned just in time to find himself with an armful of ginger haired pixie.

"Shaggy! Shaggy! Shaggy! You're here!" Nell squeaked into his chest.

"Hey Velma! Happy to see you to." He laughed out as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug.

She pulled back a little and looked up at him. "Does this mean you're back?"

He smiled down at her and repeated what he'd said to Jim. "No, I'm here because Hetty asked me to come in. Do you know what she wants? Or, for that matter, where she is?"

Instinctively, her head swiveled towards the Operations Manager's desk to find it empty. "No, to both. She was at her desk just a little while ago." She turned back to him. "How's Kensi?"

"She's doing really well! She actually took some steps today!"

"Oh, that's great news! Eric and I are going to stop by the hospital after work today." The whole team had been visiting constantly until Kensi had asked everyone to cut back on their visits and let her concentrate on getting better. They'd hadn't been happy about it but had acceded to her wishes. He knew neither of the Wonder Twins had been in since last week, although it killed them to stay away.

"She'll like that. I know she enjoys your visits." He looked up to find Eric standing on the landing with a grin on his face. "Hey Beale, good to see you!"

"You too, we miss you around here! It's just not the same without you and Kensi."

"Yeah, well, if Kensi has anything to do with it, you won't be missing her for all that long."

Eric searched his face. "And you?"

Deeks sighed. It felt good to know he was missed but he still just wasn't sure if coming back was the right thing to do. "Just because I don't work here anymore, doesn't mean we can't see each other."

"I know, it's just not the same, you know?"

He felt Nell nod from where she still stood in the circle of his arms and he had to grin. They were a good team, always on the same wavelength. He knew there was something more between them, but he never pushed it. That was between the two analysts and he knew that they'd let the rest in on it when they were ready, just like he and Kensi had done. Nell stepped back. "Any luck on the house hunting?"

He sighed again and pushed his hands through his hair. "No, haven't been able to find anything that will work for both Kensi and Monty, at least that we can afford with me not working."

Nell's face took on a sly look. "Well, you know that federal agents make a pretty good salary?"

Teasing her, he responded. "Oh? Is the FBI hiring? DEA? CIA?"

She punched him the shoulder. "There's no way we'd ever let you become an agent anywhere but NCIS. Eric and I have our ways to make sure that never happens."

He put his hand over his heart and said. "You wound me, Agent Jones."

Instead of getting the smile he was looking for, her face turned serious. "Martin Andrew Deeks! You belong here and you know it!"

"Ouch! Using my full name! You must be serious."

"Deeks, yes, I am. Please, please come back?" She blinked her suspiciously watery eyes up at him and he almost caved. She could always do that to him. He'd need to remember to tell Kip he was forgiven again. If Nell had turned on the waterworks full force, he'd have given up his best friend too.

"Nell, honey, I need to figure out what I want to do first." He said softly.

"I know. I just figured it wouldn't hurt the cause for you to understand we all want you back and that you belong with us. This is your family! Things…things just aren't as much fun around here without you."

"Indeed they are not, Mr. Deeks." The voice behind them made both he and Nell jump. He turned and looked down at Hetty Lange, Master of the Known Universe and probably all the others beyond it.

"Hi Hetty."

"Hello, Mr. Deeks. Thank you for coming in to see me." A small smile lit her face.

"Any time, Hetty, you know that."

"Do I?" He had the grace to look ashamed. He knew that taking off the way he had, had not only been cowardly, but had left them shorthanded with no notice. Not to mention, sending two more of her agents after him had put the team on stand down.

"Point taken. I'm sorry I left the way I did Hetty, it was wrong but my head wasn't on straight."

"Apology accepted, Mr. Deeks. Now, would you mind joining me in the Assistant Director's office?"

"Um, sure." She turned away from him and he looked at Nell and Eric with worried eyes. Both of them shrugged, having no idea what was going on. He turned back to say something more but she was nowhere in sight. He could never figure out how she moved like that. A ghost.

"Well, I guess…I guess I'll see you guys later?"

Eric nodded, a frown on his face. "Stop by before you leave, okay Deeks? We want to make sure you're still in one piece."

Deeks gave a strained smile and nodded. "Yeah, look, if I'm not back in an hour, let Kensi know what happened, tell her I loved her and that my will is in the top, left drawer of my desk. It'll probably have to be an empty casket funeral."

"Not funny, Shaggy!" Nell said.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Not trying to be, Velma."

"Ha, ha. Look, just go see what they want." She paused. "And then come back and tell us." She couldn't stand to be out of the loop, on anything.

"Yeah, sure. I'll see you guys later." It was a statement but had more of a questioning tone to it, as he turned and made his way down the hall to Granger's office. His friends watched him walk away, wondering what plans their Machiavellian bosses had up their collective sleeves for their ex-detective. When he disappeared, both walked slowly back up to Ops, feeling the loss of two of their colleagues keenly.

He knocked on the door and waited. A gruff "Come in." sounded and he turned the knob.

"Granger, nice to see you."

"You too, Deeks, you too." Surprisingly, the man stood up and held out his hand. Deeks took it and had his shaken hard. "Now, sit down." Granger took his own seat again. Hetty was sitting to the left, watching his every move.

Now, he really was worried. If they wanted to meet with him behind the closed doors of the Assistant Director's office instead of the open air one of Hetty's, then maybe he was in trouble. He found himself wondering if he'd broken some National Security protocol by leaving like he had and immediately heading to a foreign country, even if it was just over the border to Mexico. He wasn't even aware he was frowning.

"Stop it, Mr. Deeks."

"Stop what, Hetty?"

"Worrying. You aren't in any trouble."

"How did you know…"

She interrupted. "I know how you think, Mr. Deeks."

"Huh."

"Now, please sit as Owen so nicely requested."

He plopped down in the only other empty chair. "What's this all about?"

Not saying anything, Hetty handed him a folder. He had a momentary flashback to right before she disappeared to Prague when she'd offered him the chance to apply to become an NCIS agent. "What's this?"

"Just open it Deeks!" Granger answered.

He did as requested and found a rent to own agreement on top of a fairly thick pile of papers. He looked up at Granger and then to Hetty, who raised an eyebrow. He went back to reading the document. He recognized the area the address was in, the house would only be blocks from the beach. The description sounded perfect. Three bedrooms, one on the ground floor with its own bath. A master bedroom on the second floor with an en suite bathroom and another guest room with yet another bathroom. A large fenced in backyard. Dogs were acceptable. A handicap ramp already in place. A garage with room for two cars. It sounded perfect but he knew it would be out of their price range. That was until he got to the monthly rent and his jaw dropped. This was less than what he paid on his first crappy apartment after he graduated college.

He looked up at them suspiciously. "Why is it so cheap?"

Hetty had to smile. Their happy go-lucky ex-detective also had a mile wide cautious streak when it came to certain things, like when things seemed too good to be true. "The house is owned by a good friend of mine. He can no longer stay there alone and wants no part of his children moving in. He had a hard enough time getting the free loaders out to start with. How a good man like him, raised such grubby little good for nothings, I'll never know. I blame the mother. Anyway, he wants someone in there who will love it like he did, take care of it like he did. The rent to own is a way to keep the house out of his children's hands. You'll find the agreement iron clad but feel free to put your law degree to good use. In the event of his death, the agreement will continue, with you making payments to his estate."

He read the document from beginning to end. She was right, there were no loop holes; not that that would stop greedy heirs from getting their own lawyer, especially when they realized the house had been sold at a fraction of its true worth. He looked up again. "Why me? Why us?"

"Why not?"

"Hetty…"

"Look, Mr. Deeks. You and Miss. Blye are like family. When Paul asked if I knew someone who would cherish his home, treat it right, I immediately thought of the two of you. If you aren't interested, I'm sure we can find someone else."

"Interested? Interested!? I'll sign right now, sight unseen." He knew Kensi wouldn't care, she'd just be relieved to get their things out of storage and him and Monty out of Callen's house.

"Very well, all you need to do is sign on the last page." Hetty handed him a pen. He was about to sign when he realized he hadn't gone through the rest of the packet and he put the pen down, not seeing the look of frustration pass over both of the other faces in the room. He went to the last page of the agreement and turned the page. Sure enough, there was the application to become an NCIS agent. He flipped through and, just like last time, all the information was already filled in. What was different this time, was that there were two signatures at the end, hers and Grangers. He felt a moment of pride that Granger had been willing to sign, then he narrowed his eyes.

"So, is the house a bribe to get me to do what you want me to? I get the house but only if I sign the application?" He wasn't sure what he was suddenly so angry about.

"No, Mr. Deeks. One has nothing to do with the other. You may sign the rental agreement and leave the application as is. You may sign the application and not the rental. Or, as we are hoping, you may sign both. In no way, is one contingent upon the other."

"Deeks, look. When I first got here, I couldn't figure out for the life of me why Henrietta allowed you on her premier team or, for that matter, why she even allowed you in the building. After a few months, I finally got it. You aren't the typical federal agent but you work, somehow, you work. Without you on Callen's team, even when Blye comes back from her medical leave, the team just won't be as strong. We're not begging you to come back, we're simply giving you the opportunity, take it or leave it."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N – Haven't said it in a while, I own nothing except the clothes on my back, my OCs and one slightly aging Ford Escape in the driveway.

A/N2 – I know I owe a lot of people responses to reviews, both for this story and Loss, as well as some odd ones here and there, but things have been crazy, I promise to make an effort to get to them soon!

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Chapter 3

It was so silent in the room that Deeks could hear a pin drop, as he thought about the papers laying in front of him. Neither of the other two dared to make a sound and break his concentration. Finally, he looked up from the papers in his lap. "I'll need to talk to Kensi. It's not like I haven't thought about it over the years. I've looked into it. If I do this, I'll have to do FLETC as well as SABTP in Georgia. That means I'll be away from L.A. for upwards of three and a half months. I don't want to leave her here alone for that long."

"You won't have to, Mr. Deeks. Owen and I have been looking into this and there is a very good hospital in Savannah, Georgia. It's a bit of a distance, about 70 miles from the facility in Glynco but it's been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. We can arrange for Miss. Blye to be transferred to the rehab section of the Memorial University Medical Center for the length of your stay. An apartment will be secured for you and Monty in the same area. It will mean a long drive back and forth to classes, but it also means Miss. Blye will have excellent medical treatment."

He looked from one to the other and said the first thing that came into his mind, without thinking. "Why? Why are you doing this for us? Why are you so adamant that I become an agent?"

Granger was serious when he responded. "We look after our own. Whether you're officially on the team or not, you're one of us and always will be. If you don't want to do this, we'll still be here to assist you in any way you need us to or allow us to."

Deeks swallowed against the lump that had formed in his throat. He realized he wanted this, all of it. The house, the job, the team, Kensi. And it was all within his grasp. He looked up and smiled. "Where do I sign?"

The looks on both faces would have been comical if Deeks had been of a mind to laugh at them. Instead, he picked up the pen and signed his name to the house agreement. Turning to the last page of the application, a sudden thought came to him. "Wait, isn't there an age limit? Aren't I too old to attend now?" It seemed like it was slipping away again.

"It's been waived, Deeks. You only miss it by a just over a year. Consider it time served." Granger responded.

"Who waived it? Do you have that kind of authority over FLETC?" He was surprised.

They looked at each other and it was Hetty who answered. "Actually, Director Vance has the authority and has used it."

"Vance?" Now Deeks was moving past surprised and headed straight for stunned.

"Yes, Vance. We're not the only ones who don't want to lose you Deeks. He's almost as invested in you becoming an agent as we are." Granger replied.

"Well…huh…I…"

"Just sign the damn paperwork already before we're all retired!"

"Yes sir!" He put pen to paper and signed his name. It was official, he was going to become an NCIS agent. He shook a little, having second thoughts.

"None of that now, Mr. Deeks. You've made the right decision." He didn't even bother to ask how she knew. "Now, here is the list of classes you will be required to take. Some of them you've already taken so credit will be given. Some of them, we may be able to get waived due to your experience here in OSP." Hetty began, handing the long list to Deeks.

He looked up sharply. "No."

Hetty actually looked confused. "No? No, what?"

"No, no classes get waived. I'll accept the credit for the ones I actually took and passed, but I take all the rest, just like any other applicant. I need to prove I can do this on my own."

Hetty smiled widely. This independence of spirit was another reason her attention had landed on the man in front of her so many years ago. "Very well." She watched as he looked at the list of classes and his face took on a bit of a panicked look. "You know, Mr. Deeks, all of us will be behind you. Any assistance you may need, you can always come to us or your team. I know Mr. Hanna and Mr. Callen will be happy to help you in any way."

"I don't want them to know I'm doing this. Sam, Callen, Nell, Eric, no one at NICS is to know except you two, Director Vance, Kensi and me."

"But why Mr. Deeks? Surely you know you can count on your team?"

"I do know Hetty. But this, this is something I want to do on my own. I know you'd have my back and I know I have both of you to thank for this, but I want to be given that badge on my own merits, not because I have a team of people who steam rolled me through it. Besides, if I fail…"

"You won't fail Deeks, of that I'm sure. We'll abide by your wishes. As far as the rest of the team and OSP will be concerned, we found a specialist in Georgia for Blye and you're going with her to support her during her rehab. We expect you both to be there for three to four months." Granger said.

Deeks quirked an eyebrow. "You don't seem all that surprised by my wishes, Assistant Director."

"I'm not. You wouldn't be the man I know you to be, if you allowed us to do the work for you. You come off as lazy, laid back and looking for the easy way out, but I've seen you in action. I know that's a crock. You're just as driven as the rest of us." Granger smirked at him. Not to be outdone, Deeks smirked back.

"Well, now that that's settled, why don't you go by your new home and check it out, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty stood up and held out the keys along with a piece of paper with the address written on it. Deeks stood as well and gently took them from her.

"Hetty, I can't thank you enough. Even without the invitation to become an agent, finding a home for us is above and beyond anything we could have asked of you."

"I did it for Mr. Callen. It's only right I do it for you and Miss. Blye. That house and the three of you? I think you'll find it a good fit. Now scoot! We'll file both pieces of paperwork. Don't be surprised if Leon reaches out to you to welcome you aboard. Just be nice to him and he'll eventually go away."

Deeks laughed and headed out. Unsurprisingly, Nell and Eric were lying in wait and pounced on him as soon as he exited the hallway. "Well?" Nell asked breathlessly. "What was all that about?" She hoped she knew what it was. She knew everyone but Deeks was convinced he should become an NCIS agent.

"Hetty and Granger found a great rehab hospital for Kensi. It's in Savannah, Georgia and they've arranged for her to be transferred there, if she's agreeable. I'm to go with her for support."

Nell's face fell. This was not at all what she'd hoped for. "Oh, well, that's great. How does Kensi feel about this?"

"She doesn't know yet. They wanted to talk to me first, to make sure I'd be able to go with her. Seeing as I'm unemployed at the moment, I answered yes. Plus, it will get me out from under Callen's feet, at least for a few months."

"Months?" Eric squeaked. "How long are you two going to be gone?"

"Hetty said the specialist she talked to figures three to four months."

"Dude! That's a long time!"

"It is, but it'll be worth it to get Kens the best care possible. I'll make sure we skype or face time with you guys, so it'll be over before you know it!" He smiled and left the Mission, his heart lighter than it had been in a long time.

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Deeks sat in his car and stared at the house through the windshield and then checked the address for the tenth time. There's no way this was the house he'd just signed a rent to own agreement on. He'd pictured a small three bedroom with a tiny backyard. The actuality was completely different. The house was huge and he squirmed a bit, not sure if he'd been fed a bunch of bull and Hetty had spent her own money, leaving the remainder to assuage his conscience. Taking a deep breath, he held it for a few moments and then blew it out. Opening the door, he stepped out and walked up the path.

The handicap ramp was off to the side of the wide front porch and inconspicuous, something he knew Kensi would appreciate if she had need of it. He pulled out his phone and snapped a couple pictures. Arriving at the front door, he put the key in the lock, expecting that it wouldn't work, that this was all a mistake. When it turned smoothly and the door swung in, he hesitated, still feeling like he was trespassing. The inside of the house made him feel a little better. It was dated but nothing he couldn't fix with a little help from his friends. A bit of paint here, remove some wallpaper there. He toured it, taking picture after picture for Kensi, his excitement mounting with each step.

The first floor bedroom was not the largest, but it would do as Kensi recovered her mobility, then they would move into the master suite on the second floor. He found a slider exiting out to the backyard and had to stop as he imagined Monty's excitement at his new backyard. It was big enough that the old dog would be able to run circles until he exhausted himself. He snapped a couple more pictures before he closed it. Heading to the second floor, he stood rooted to the spot when he found the master. He pictured their furniture in there and finally a sense of being home swept over him. He quickly snapped a few more pictures and headed out, carefully closing and locking the door behind him. He hurried to the car, dying to get to the hospital and show the pictures to Kensi and tell her his news. Sitting in the car once more, he took one last look at the house and then drove away, a little bit dazed but with a huge smile on his face.

He reached the hospital in record time, found a space and bounded into the lobby. He waved at a couple people he recognized and forewent the elevator in favor of the stairs to burn off some nervous energy. When he reached Kensi's floor, he forced himself to slow down to a more seemly pace. He exchanged pleasantries with a couple of the nurses and orderlies before stopping in front of her door. He had to suppress the way his body fairly vibrated and knocked. When she called out to come in, he opened the door slowly and entered. She was lying in bed and looking exhausted but she still had a smile for him. Then her head tilted. "What's going on Deeks? You look like the cat that ate the canary!"

He never could keep anything from her. "How would you feel about me becoming an NCIS agent?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I just signed the paperwork to become an agent. And that's not all! We have a place to live. Three blocks from the ocean with plenty of space for all of us, including Monty."

"How did you find it? That close to the beach, the rent is going to be astronomical." Her worry came through loud and clear.

"Hetty and we're renting to own." He told her the amount they'd be paying each month and her jaw dropped open.

"We could afford that, even if you didn't get another job! How is that possible?" A sudden thought crossed her mind and she blinked a couple times, then said quietly. "Wait, to become an agent, you need to attend FLETC and SABTP in Georgia."

He watched her closely, waiting to see if she'd tell him how she felt about that. When she didn't say anything for a few moments, he asked. "Are you okay with that?" He knew he should tell her she was going with him but he was curious to see if she'd tell him how she really felt about it.

She pasted a smile on her face and nodded. "Of course! This is something I've been wanting you to do for years."

"It's going to take me several months to complete the training course."

"I know, I'll be fi…" She stopped and looked at him, noticing that he was watching her carefully, looking like he was waiting for something. She'd promised him to be truthful about everything from now on and, no, she wasn't okay with this. She took a deep breath. "No, to be candid, I am not okay with you leaving me here alone for the next three to four months. I'm sorry, Deeks, I really am, but as much as I want you to become an agent, I really don't think I could stand to be here without you."

He grinned widely, happy that she'd told him the truth, even if the lie that had been on her lips was to make him feel better about leaving her behind. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing you're going with me then! Hetty and Granger have made arrangements for you to be transferred to a good hospital close by and we can take Monty!"

"What?" She stared at him. "You knew and yet you let me think…"

He realized that wasn't one of his better decisions and sat on the edge of the bed, taking her hand in his. "I'm sorry, I was just…"

She interrupted. "Testing me? Waiting to see if I'd tell you how I really felt?"

"Maybe, a little. And maybe just a little teasing. I'm sorry, I really am. That wasn't fair to you. It's still hard for me sometimes." He turned his head a little and stared out the window.

She knew it was going to take some time to earn back his complete trust and, while she wasn't happy he'd kept her in the dark, she thought she'd taken a step forward towards that goal, by being open and honest about how she felt. She squeezed his hand. "It's okay, just, please? Don't do anything like that again?" He nodded and raised her hand to his lips. "So, tell me everything that happened!"

He told her the whole story, from the moment he stepped into the Mission until he locked the door on the house Hetty had found for them. He pulled out his phone, shifted his position on her bed and the two poured over the pictures he'd taken of the house. "That wallpaper will need to go. We'll need to repaint that room, I hate the pink walls! Oh Deeks, what an awesome backyard, we can have a party back there for everyone! Monty will be in seventh heaven." Her excitement reflected his own and he leaned down to kiss her hard. Her response left him reeling when they finally pulled apart.

"So, I take it you're okay with the fact that I signed the rent to own agreement without talking to you?"

"I'd be pissed if you hadn't! I can't believe you left here with no place for us to live, no job and now look!"

"Hetty and Granger work in mysterious ways!"

She laughed and then sobered. "You know you're going to be an amazing agent, don't you? We'll all help you."

"Yeah, about that. I told Hetty and Granger that I didn't want anyone other than those that already know, to be told I'm going."

Leave it to his kick ass Kensi to understand. "You want to do it on your own, don't you? No help from anyone so that you can say, I did this."

"You know me so well. Yeah, I'd feel different if Sam, Callen and the Wonder Twins had a part in my getting through training and then I'd wonder if I'd passed because I'm good or because of them."

"You'll pass with flying colors. I have absolute faith in you."

He looked at her carefully, once again gauging her words and the incidents of the past few months came back, sobering both of them. It was always there, just in the background. She reached out and took his hands. "I promised you, if you'd give me a second chance, I would always be truthful with you, no matter how painful. I meant what I said, you're going to pass with flying colors and make everyone proud!"

He leaned forward and placed his forehead against hers, whispering. "Thank you baby."

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A/N3 - Next up, FLETC, which, if we know our Deeks, will not be smooth sailing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

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It had been a long three weeks, getting their things out of storage and into the new house, Justin and Derek helping again but this time with much laughter and joking as they reversed the process. Then getting himself, Kensi and Monty to Georgia and settled in there, barely in time for him to get into the program with the next class. Hetty had worked her magic and a 'friend's' private jet had suddenly been going that direction and they were welcomed to 'hitch a ride'. He figured that Hetty knew that Kensi wouldn't want to be the subject of pitied looks on a commercial airliner and had quietly made other arrangements. Neither of them had said anything, just grateful that she cared enough to make the effort.

Nell and Eric had been suspicious about the sudden move, not really believing that the change was to get Kensi to a specialist who could help her better than the doctors in L.A. but, so far, they hadn't caught on to the fact that he was going to be attending FLETC, the hospital just far enough away from Glynco to avoid that connection. He worried that it wouldn't take them long to make the leap, however. He sighed and shrugged. There was nothing he could do about the Wonder Twins brain power and he hoped that, once they figured it out, as he was sure they would, they'd respect his wishes.

He looked around the room and had to grin. The orientation class was about to start and his fellow classmates looked like a bunch of teenage feebie wannabes. All of them looked so young and were dressed alike in suits and ties, shoes spit shined and polished, both men and women. All but one that was. He was dressed similarly to Deeks in jeans, V-neck tee and boots. That's about where the similarity ended though. The guy's hair was short and positively screamed military, while Deeks's long hair tended to scream surfer. In addition, there was something about the way he held himself that reminded Deeks strongly of Sam. He wondered if the guy was a retired Seal. He'd made the mistake once, and only once, of calling Sam an ex-Seal and was told in no uncertain terms that there was no such thing. You were either a Seal, retired or dead. His attention was taken away from his fellow classmates when the instructor entered the room, a short man with a receding hairline. He leaned back in his chair as the rest of the class leaned forward in theirs, all ears and focused attention. He smiled again, the crooked grin catching the eye of the instructor.

"Something funny, Mr.?"

Deeks waved. "Deeks, Martin Deeks. You can call me Marty or Deeks."

"As I asked, _Mr_. Deeks, do you find something funny?"

"No, sir, just happy to be here." This was not starting out well and he knew he had to watch his smart mouth. He didn't want to wash out before the orientation class was even over. He chanced a look at the rest of his classmates and saw derision on all faces except the one he decided to call Mr. Seal. From him, he caught a smirk and a hint of laughter in his eyes. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad if he had at least one other person who didn't look like they were bucking for teacher's pet.

"Very well. Welcome to FLETC where you will begin your journey towards becoming NCIS agents. I'm Special Agent Neal Carrington and will be your guide through this process. This will not be easy and you will need to pay attention during your classes or you _will_ be washed out, there are no second chances. There are plenty of others waiting to take your place if you can't cut it." For some reason, the man looked directly at Deeks who pasted a look of deep interest on his face and willed himself not to wave again. The man looked away and continued. "You will see things during your training that will make you wonder at the state of the human race. If you don't think you can handle it, please feel free to leave now. No one will think the less of you for doing so." Again, he looked directly at Deeks who couldn't control his eyes from narrowing. He wasn't sure why the man was singling him out, other than the smile that had been on his face when he'd walked in. Other than that, he'd been respectful and paying attention. What was it about him that always seemed to get the officious ones with the stick up their butts, so worked up?

"Now, who knows the NCIS mission statement?"

Hands shot up all over the room and Deeks had to smile again as an image of an over eager Hermione Granger from the early Harry Potter movies, favorites of his and Kensi's, shot through his mind. Leave it to Carrington to pick up on it. "Mr. Deeks? You appear to find this funny as well. Perhaps you would like to tell us the mission statement?" His tone indicated he didn't expect Deeks to even know they had one.

"The NCIS mission is to investigate and defeat criminal, terrorist and foreign intelligence threats to the United States, Navy and Marine Corps – ashore, afloat and in cyperspace." He replied with no hesitation. It had been drilled into him for years.

Carrington looked surprised but said nothing as he continued. "Your classes will range from how to give courtroom testimony to forensics to investigating a crime scene. You will be dealing with dead bodies at some point. You may need to kill another human being. This will be part of your job when you graduate and how you perform will determine whether or not a guilty party is brought to justice and put behind bars or sent to the morgue. Have any of you had the experience of dealing with a dead body?" His tone made it obvious he expected no one to answer and the looks on several of the younger recruits was comical. What did they think they'd be investigating? AWOL sailors?

For some reason, Deeks wasn't surprised when only his and Mr. Seal's hands went up. Carrington looked at Deeks with surprise written all over his face. "Really, Mr. Deeks? And how exactly do you have experience with this? Misbegotten youth? Drowned surfer buddy?"

"Actually, no, sir." Deeks was determined to be respectful no matter what this guy said to him. "Eleven years as a member of the L.A.P.D."

Carrington's eyebrows rose. "You were a street cop?"

"At one time, sir. I was a Detective when I left the force."

"And now you've decided to become a federal agent. Why?"

"Natural progression? I liked being a cop, I liked putting the bad guys behind bars. I like the idea of keeping our country safe from those who would harm it." There was no way this guy was ever going to find out about his association with OSP and Hetty Lange.

Carrington hmmphed. "Yes, well. How about you Mr.?" His tone was no longer derisive when he addressed "Mr. Seal".

"Johnstone, sir, Philip Johnstone. Navy, retired. Several tours of duty overseas. I saw my fair share of bodies, friendlies and otherwise."

"Welcome, Mr. Johnstone, I'm sure you'll be an excellent addition to the NCIS family."

"Thank you, sir."

When Carrington turned away, Johnstone looked at Deeks and shrugged, letting him know he wasn't happy about the difference in the way the two of them had been treated. Deeks grinned back at him and shrugged as well. He was used to it and it made him only more determined that, not only would he graduate, but would do so at the top of the class. He made himself listen carefully as Carrington continued to drone on. Why would they have someone like this doing orientation, he'd never understand. Were they waiting to see if boredom would drive some people out of the program before it even started? When the officious little man finally wound up by asking if everyone had their class schedules, Deeks was ready to bolt.

As they began to file out after being dismissed, Johnstone made a point of being beside Deeks. Once out of the room and earshot of Carrington, he put a hand on Deeks's arm to stop him. "Look, I don't know why he decided to take a dislike to you but it wasn't right to treat you like that without you doing anything to deserve it."

Deeks smiled. "Thanks man, glad to know it wasn't just me."

He was going to say something further when one of the younger recruits sauntered up to them, looking Deeks up and down and obviously finding him lacking. "You really expect anyone to believe you were a cop in L.A.? You know you can get kicked out for lying about your background like that."

Deeks was no longer amused. Drawing himself up, he replied. "Detective Martin A. Deeks, L.A.P.D, badge number 8523. Feel free to call them and verify it. Ask for Lt. Bates." He turned and strode away, not wanting to wait and see what else the twit came up with.

Johnstone stared at the younger man and just shook his head, clearly showing his disappointment and making the man blush. "You know, that man put his life on the line every day for eleven years. What have you done?" He didn't wait for an answer, only turned and followed the detective he'd just defended, leaving a contrite recruit behind him. Catching up to his quarry, he fell into step beside him. "What's the hurry?"

Deeks stopped but didn't look at him. "What did I do to deserve that? I know I can have a smart mouth and that it can get me into trouble with the brass, that they don't like the way I look and dress, but I was being respectful and watched what I said and how I acted, yet somehow? It just didn't make a difference."

"The kid was just taking his cues from Carrington, who, I might add, is a pompous windbag. You know what they say? Those that can, do. Those that can't, teach?"

Deeks finally turned and looked at him, catching the raised eyebrows and smile. He started to laugh and Johnstone joined him. When they sobered, Deeks held out his hand. "Marty Deeks. You can call me Marty or Deeks."

Johnstone took it and replied. "So I heard. You can call me Phil."

They turned and started to walk towards the parking lot again, orientation being the only thing on the docket for today. Deeks looked at Phil from the corner of his eye. "You know, I know some teachers that would take offense with that statement."

"I'm not talking about teachers, I'm talking about Carrington." Deeks huffed out a laugh at the man's response. "I have the utmost respect for teachers, not sure I could do what they do."

"I agree! Give me a bad guy with a gun over a room full of angsty teenagers, any day!"

"No kidding. Hey, you got time for a quick coffee? I have a feeling the story of Martin A. Deeks, former L.A.P.D. detective, might be interesting listening."

Deeks looked at his watch. It would take him an hour and a half to get home but it was still early and he figured he had about three hours before Kensi would be ready for visitors. She'd settled into the new hospital very well and had quickly connected with her new doctor, a young woman named Martina Flanders. The two were already fast friends and, from what he'd seen so far, the doc was getting better responses from her than her old one had. "Sure, I have a feeling that the story of Phillip Johnstone, retired Navy, might be just as interesting."

"Not sure about that."

"We'll see. I'm new around here, where's the nearest coffee shop?"

Phil looked confused. "Um, not sure? New around here myself." The two looked at each other, nonplussed and then started laughing again. "Come on, there's a Starbucks on every corner of every U.S. city, it can't be hard to find one."

Deeks pulled out his phone and googled it. "Great! There's one just down the street. One car or follow me?"

"I'll follow you. No sense in coming back here afterwards. Can't stay too long, the wife will wonder where I got to. Told her I'd call her when orientation was over to let her know how it was."

"Where are you from?"

"Boston, born and bred and I know you're from L.A."

"Yup, born and bred myself." Deeks reached his car and opened the door. Turning to Phil, he said. "See you there." Phil nodded and kept on towards his car, wondering what it was about the scruffy ex-detective that had piqued his interest. He wasn't the kind of guy he'd normally befriend and he didn't think it was just the way he was treated in orientation. He grinned as he reached his own car and figured he'd find out soon enough. When they reached the coffee shop, he pulled into an empty space a few cars down from where Deeks had parked. They walked in together, comfortably silent. Getting their orders, they found an empty table outside and sat down in the warm Georgia sunshine.

"So." Phil started.

Deeks laughed. "So."

"Very funny. Tell me about Detective Marty Deeks. What made you leave the force?"

Deeks squirmed a little. "Personal issues." Phil tilted his head and waited, watching his new friend squirm a little more before taking pity.

"Okay, let's try something else. What made you want to be a cop in the first place?"

"Well, I was a Public Defender in L.A. and got tired of seeing the criminals get away and the innocent get railroaded, so I…"

"Whoa, whoa! Wait? You were a lawyer?"

"Still am. Kept my license up."

"Jeez, talk about not judging a book by its cover! I never would have pegged you as a lawyer _or_ a cop."

"Well, I have you pegged as a Navy Seal. How close am I?" Deeks countered with a smirk.

Phil's mouth opened and closed a couple times. "How…?"

"You remind of someone, a friend. He's a retired Seal."

"Who? I might know him."

"Um…" Now he wished his kept his smart mouth closed and had squashed his need to show off.

"What, is it top secret or something?"

"No, it's just that he doesn't know I'm here and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Why?"

Deeks sighed. "He's an NCIS agent and one of the reasons why I decided to become one. I want to do this on my own and I know he'd have a hard time keeping his nose out of things, wanting to help."

"Hey man, I'm a retired Seal! I can keep a secret with the best of them. Come on, give me a name! You're killing me here!"

"You know, I've always wondered if curiosity was a prerequisite to being a Seal."

"Very funny. Cough it up!"

Deeks figured why not. He felt a connection with this guy and that translated into feeling like he could trust him. "Fine. Sam Hanna."

"Sam Hanna! You and Sam Hanna are friends?"

Deeks frowned a little, not sure he liked the disbelief in his new friend's voice. "You have a problem with that?"

"Problem? No! Of course not. It's just…the Sam Hanna I knew…." He stopped, not sure how to say what he was thinking without alienating the man.

"Yes? The Sam Hanna you knew…."

Taking a deep breath, Phil explained himself. "Look, Sam was a great Seal, a real asset to any team he worked on. Someone I'd pick to have my back over pretty much anyone else. It's just, he was always a little, well…"

"Snobby about anyone who wasn't 'straight up military'? Someone who dressed or talked like me?"

"Huh, you really do know Sam." Phil laughed.

"Yeah, he was like that with me at first but then something happened to change his mind. I can't tell you what it was, let's just say he came to see me instead of the clothes or the hair."

"You worked with him on a case?"

"Classified." Deeks smirked a little.

Phil shook his head. "I have a feeling there's more to you than even lawyer, cop and now prospective NCIS agent, covers."

"Who, me? Nah, I'm an open book."

Phil snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Look, I trusted you with his name, can I trust you not to go running to him with the fact that I'm here?"

Phil looked hurt. "I promised you I can keep a secret. I get it, I do. Knowing Sam, he'd feel like he had to check in on your progress, quiz you on how you're doing in class, maybe try to give you a few 'pointers' whether you wanted them or not."

"Huh, you really do know Sam." Deeks parroted Phil's earlier comment.

The two looked at each other and burst into laughter. Deeks lifted his cup and held it out to Phil, who picked up his own and touched it against Deeks's. "Here's to the two newest NCIS agents."

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A/N – Thanks to honus47 for being my beta! All mistakes left are mine.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

A/N – this chapter was co-written with Honus47. The first version was, and I freely admit it, horrible! That's also why this took so long. She had long road ahead of her as she cleaned it up and added a lot of things that made it so much better. Thanks Joni!

A/N2 – I'm also very behind on responding to reviews, most of which I haven't even had the chance to read yet. That is next on my agenda! Work has been busy and I'm gearing up for vacation…Punta Cana, here we come!

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Deeks took a long drink of his coffee, watching Phil over the rim of his cup. "So, why don't you tell me about Phillip Johnstone, retired Seal? What was it like growing up in Boston?"

"Actually, I grew up in a Boston suburb called Medford. Great city, lots to do. Our house was right on the Mystic River and the summers were great. Couldn't swim, too much pollution, but we jet skied, kayaked and canoed. Spent many a summer night sitting on the dock with the family, neighbors and friends, just hanging out. My grandparents lived two houses up and were a big part of our lives. Gramps and Dad were both career Navy. Never put any pressure on me to go into the service, but it was always the way I wanted to go. I'm the only kid and felt like I should keep up the family tradition."

"Mystic River? Like in the book and movie?" Deeks read a lot, more than anyone at LAPD or NCIS would ever expect, picking up any book that caught his fancy. He knew Kensi had been surprised the first time she'd been in his apartment, books covering pretty much every surface, on pretty much any subject. Fiction, biographies, religion, anything that sounded good, he lapped it up. He was also a movie buff and tried to catch any decent movie that came out.

"Yup, the author, Dennis Lehane, is a local guy. The book and movie were set in various cities around Boston, mostly Chelsea, Jamaica Plain, Charlestown and South Boston, but the river's the same one."

"Cool."

"Yeah, my wife and folks got to see some of the actors when they were in the area filming, but I was on deployment and missed all the action."

"Bummer."

Phil laughed. "Don't know about that. Had to hear about Sean Penn this, Tim Robbins that, in just about every letter and phone call for months. My mom and my wife are big fans of both."

"How long have you been married?"

"Seventeen years. Got two kids, twins. A boy, Matthew and a girl, Rebecca. They just turned 15 this year. Matthew is a computer geek but Rebecca takes after me. She plans to join the Navy as soon as she graduates high school, same as I did."

Deeks tilted his head at him. "You're really proud of them, aren't you?"

"Of course! They're the light of my life, along with my wife Christine."

"Must have been hard to be away so much during their childhood."

"Yeah, but my folks were there to help, along with my grandparents. The house in between ours and the grandparents came up for sale about a year after Chris and I got married and we snapped it up. I never had to worry about her and the kids being on their own, no matter where I was deployed. Weird thing about Medford, people tend to stay there even after they grow up, usually buying a place close to their childhood home."

"Still, being a Navy Seal is a dangerous job, they must have worried about you."

"Sure, they all did, but we're a military family. Chris's dad was Army, as is her brother." He laughed. "I had to prove myself worthy of dating Chris, being only Navy and all."

Deeks had to laugh, knowing Sam would be highly offended at the idea that the Navy wasn't as good, if not better, than the Army. "Seems like being a Seal would have been more than enough to up the ante."

"Wasn't a Seal at the time we started dating. I'd just applied and was getting ready for training. We got married soon after I graduated. She got pregnant with the twins almost right away. I was lucky, managed to make it home for the birth of my kids. Others I served with weren't as lucky."

Deeks sensed a story there but the look on Phil's face said that was a closed discussion for the moment, maybe later when they knew each other better. "So, what made you retire and apply to be an NCIS agent?"

A look crossed Phil's face that Deeks was very familiar with. "Last mission went sideways and I got hurt, badly. Decided I was done risking my life and wanted to spend more time with my family but also wanted to stay with the Navy. My specialty was forensics and seemed like a good segue to NCIS."

"Won't you have to move to wherever they station you?"

"Hoping to get stationed at the NCISRU at Devens, MA. Not that far from Medford so I'll be able to be home every night."

"Huh, didn't realize there was an office in the Boston area."

"Yeah, the main office for the North East is in Rhode Island, but there are field offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Hampshire and Maine."

"What if you don't get Devens?"

Phil smiled. "I figure we'll deal with that when we get there."

"That's pretty laid back, for a retired Seal."

"Learned the hard way not to sweat the small stuff. So, now that you know all there is to know about Phillip Johnstone, tell me about Martin Deeks. What was is like growing up in the City of Angels? What made you become a lawyer, a cop and now an NCIS agent?"

Deeks took another deep drink of his coffee, wondering how much he wanted to tell the man looking at him expectantly from across the table. For some reason, he felt that this man wouldn't judge him, but still didn't want to divulge too much. He cleared his throat and started. "I grew up in Reseda and, like most areas of L.A., there were lots of gangs. Ran with a small group of guys who stayed as far away from that as possible. One of our friends got gunned down by the Southland Kings, wrong place, wrong time, something I never forgot. A couple years ago I was part of an undercover operation that took most of them down."

"That must have been satisfying!"

"You have no idea. Friend of mine, one of that group I hung with as a kid, was a target of theirs after giving testimony against a gun runner. That guy sicced them on my friend, even though he'd never had any dealings with them and was no threat. We almost lost him. Luckily, they weren't the smartest gang on the planet. We got back some stolen guns and put their leaders behind bars."

"So, you guys still friends?"

"Yeah, he'll always be my friend, I just have no idea where he is right now or what name he's living under."

"Wit-sec?"

"Yeah, him and his girlfriend. She was pregnant at the time. Kid should be about six by now."

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Yeah, we've known each other since I was ten. He was a good guy but never made the right choices in his life. Hoping his life is better now."

"So, cop first or lawyer?"

"Lawyer. I wanted to help people. Growing up in Reseda showed me the troubles families got into and I thought I could be the one to do that, in some way. Decided when I was about 11 that I was going into the law." He didn't add that it was because he'd shot his father.

"So, you went to law school and became a Public Defender. What made you switch to being a cop?"

"My case load was ridiculous. I had so many clients, I could barely get familiar with the case before we were already in front of a judge. Saw too many bad guys get off on technicalities, too many kids get railroaded on stupid stuff. Started to think I'd make more of a difference if I could be out there before it got that far. Applied to the academy and graduated to become a street cop. Eventually made it to detective, undercover work."

"Undercover? That must have been exciting!"

"Yeah, nothing more exciting than spending a couple weeks pretending to be a bum, living on the streets and rummaging around in garbage bins for food. But, on the other hand something fantastic came from my undercover work."

"Ewww, like what? Day old bread? Half eaten lunches? Not so badly bruised fruit? What?"

Deels smiled. "Kensi happened. That's how I met the woman who became everything to me. I was undercover at an MMA gym, looking to get proof they were running a drug ring. It was a small group of ex-marines and one of the group, the one who was close to giving me the intel I needed, died. I thought it was an accidental death at first, overdose, but later found out differently. Anyway, I was working out a day or two after his death when his so called 'girl-friend' walked into the gym. The first time I saw her she took my breath away and my heart felt like it stopped. She said her name was Tracey and just wanted to talk to some people her boyfriend was close to. Something about her set my radar off, her story just didn't add up with what I knew about the guy. Turned out I was right, she was actually undercover investigating the death for a federal agency."

He took another sip of his coffee and grinned at the man sitting across from him. "I met someone else undercover on that case, someone you know. Sam showed up as an ex-marine who was looking to fight, but I didn't know he was a fed at the time. He was going to try to get the open position on the team that I was up for. The only way to settle who got the spot was a fight off. I've never had to fight a bald gorilla before but I held my own for the first two rounds. The third round he took me out. I waited for him after the fight and picked another one so the LAPD would throw his butt in jail for a few days. I'd set it up so that they were waiting just around the corner, knowing that there was going to be a fight, and they took us both in to protect my cover. During the night I was released and to my amazement, so was he. That's when I found out who he was. His boss introduced him and Kensi, along with the rest of their team, to me and my boss, and it was decided to join forces for the op. I've worked with them a few times since then and Kensi and I started dating a couple years ago." He felt bad for not telling Phil the whole story, but he was determined no one would know of his connection to NCIS.

Deeks laughed at the look on Phil's face. "Yeah, good times."

"Okay, so we're up to cop. What happened to make you leave there?"

"Kensi was in a bad accident. She almost didn't make it, but she's strong, one of the strongest women I've ever met."

"So, what? They wouldn't let you take leave to take care of her?"

"Not exactly. We had a bit of a…misunderstanding. Some things were said, hurtful things, and I took off, quit LAPD."

"Dude!"

"Yeah, not one of my finest moments, or hers. Some friends helped me find my way back. We're working things through though."

"Is she back in L.A. waiting on you?"

"No, actually, she's at a rehab hospital in Savannah. I've got a small apartment nearby so I can spend as much time as I have free with her."

"Savannah? Wow, that commute's gonna suck during training!"

Deeks smiled softly. "She's worth it."

"So, you've got a retired Navy Seal friend who's an NCIS agent, now you tell me your girlfriend is an NCIS agent too? Well, now I guess I don't have to ask why you're here."

Deeks laughed. "Yeah, figured if I can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em."

The two clinked their empty cups one last time and stood up, an unspoken agreement that it was time to head out. They walked companionably towards their cars and shook hands, agreeing to meet up before class the next morning. Deeks drove away, headed towards Savannah and Kensi while Phil sat for a moment in his car. Pulling out his cell, he dialed home.

"Hi baby." Christine answered on the first ring. "How did Orientation go?"

Phil closed his eyes, missing her desperately for a moment. "Actually, it went pretty good. I made a new friend today, I think you'd like him. Hopefully we'll both make it through training and you can meet him when we graduate."

"Really? What's he like?" Phil leaned back in his seat and gave her a condensed version of what he'd learned about Marty Deeks, ex-lawyer, ex-cop, NCIS agent in training.

Deeks made the trip home in a reasonable amount of time and headed straight for the hospital. He was excited about making a new friend and told Kensi all about him, neglecting to mention the trouble he'd had with one very Special Agent Neal Carrington, figuring she didn't need to know that part. He knew her, she'd only worry or would somehow stick her nose into it.

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The next morning, Deeks parked and got out of his rental car, stretching before sauntering towards the building where he'd be taking his first class as an official NCIS agent in training. Learning how to give Courtroom Testimony. He figured this one would be a cake walk, provided he could keep his smart mouth closed and not rile up any more instructors. Carrington was already on his case and that was one more than he really needed. He and Phil had agreed to meet up outside the building before class began. He was early, the trip from Savannah not taking as long as he'd thought. Orientation had been held later in the day but this morning he'd been traveling at rush hour and had given himself plenty of time, not wanting to be late his first day. He paused when he heard his name called and turned to find himself face to face with the recruit who'd accosted him after Orientation.

"What can I do for you?" He asked neutrally, no expression on his face.

"Look, I wanted to apologize for yesterday. It was wrong and I know it. I had no right to accuse you of lying. I'm not really sure why I did it and I'm not sure any reason I could come up with would excuse it. I only wanted to say I'm sorry and it won't happen again." The younger man held out his hand, the look on his face saying he wasn't sure Deeks would take it.

Deeks had to smile at how earnest he looked and took the proffered hand. "Well, no harm, no foul. Marty."

"Charlie." The two shook hands and then stood there for a minute, not really sure what to do now that an apology had been offered and accepted. Finally, Charlie cleared his throat and said. "Well…." Just as Phil came steaming up, unnoticed by either of them.

"Hey, you! _What_ is your problem? What are you going to accuse him of today?" Phil was in full on friend protection mode and was nonplussed when Deeks started to laugh.

"Down, boy. Charlie here just offered his apology for his actions yesterday. An apology that I readily accepted." He looked at his watch. "You guys want to head in? Class starts in fifteen minutes and I'd like to get my pick of the seats." He still wasn't sure if he wanted to sit at the front or the back. Yesterday's experience had left him with a bad taste in his mouth and he was leaning towards the back and out of sight.

Charlie held his hand out to Phil. "I've already apologized to Marty and I'd like to extend the same to you, sir."

Phil sighed and felt old. He figured if Marty was okay with it, he couldn't do any less. He shook the hand and replied "It's Phil, not sir." They turned and the three walked into class together, unaware that they were being watched closely by a frowning Neal Carrington. He didn't like this cop and would do everything he could to make sure he didn't graduate. There was no way that cocky, shaggy blonde surfer would become an NCIS agent, not if he had a say in it. If he'd known the people backing said surfer, he would've been shaking in his highly polished shoes.

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Courtroom Testimony

Deeks settled for a seat in the middle of the room, figuring hiding in the back was somewhat cowardly but not wanting to be right up front and maybe catching the eye of whoever their instructor was. Phil settled in next to him and, surprising both of them, Charlie plopped himself down on Phil's right. Phil looked at Deeks and quirked an eyebrow at him. Biting his lip to keep from laughing and possibly hurting the feelings of the younger man, Deeks turned his eyes forward in time to see an older woman walk in and take her place at the lectern as the rest of the class filed in and filled up the front seats. Somehow, he'd managed to be at the back anyway.

"Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to your first FLETC class on your way to becoming an NCIS agent. I'm LGD Attorney-Advisor Cora Temple and I will be your trainer. LGD, by the way, stands for the Legal Division of the Office of Chief Counsel. During this class, you will learn to give courtroom testimony. It might seem like you wouldn't need to be trained for this, but your testimony, and whether or not the jury believes you, can be the difference between getting a conviction or allowing the defendant to walk free. Tomorrow, we'll be doing some mock trials where you'll be called upon to give testimony from a case study given to you tonight. I will expect you to know the details when called upon." She looked around at the class, not settling on any one of them. "Now, can anyone tell me some dos and don'ts of giving testimony in front of a judge and jury?" Hands shot up all over the room, including Charlie's. Phil looked at Deeks, who studiously stared forward and kept his hand down. Temple looked down at her list of trainees and seemingly picked a name at random. "Martin Deeks?"

Deeks sighed, wondering if this was just a coincidence or if Carrington had given her the idea. He raised his hand. "Here. Let's see, some dos and don'ts. Do dress appropriately. Even if it's not true, someone dressed in a nice suit and tie appears more trustworthy. Do know your information. Memorize dates and times, names, places and descriptions. Don't hesitate or it will sound like you aren't sure. Don't make anything up, if you get caught in a lie, it makes the rest of your testimony suspect. If you don't know the answer, do say so. It's better to say you don't know than to make something up. The jury will respect you more for it. Don't offer more information than is asked for. Do stay calm and collected no matter how hard the defense attorney pushes you or alleges that you don't know what you're talking about or that you are, in fact, lying. Getting flustered or belligerent does not inspire trust from the jury. Do think carefully when answering, make sure you know what they're asking before doing so. If you aren't sure, do ask for a clarification." He stopped and looked at the trainer who was looking mildly surprised.

"You sound like you've given testimony before, Mr. Deeks."

"Yes ma'am, many times. Part of being a police detective."

"Well, thank you for your very concise answer. I hope the rest of you were paying attention?" Around the room heads nodded and the class continued. By the end of the day, even Deeks learned some things about giving testimony and his respect for Cora Temple rose. Before dismissing them for the day, she handed out the case study that they would be using for training. Deeks rifled through it and noted how much information was packed into it. All of which would need to be memorized for the mock trial the next day. It was going to be a long evening. He perked up when he thought about having Kensi drill him. It would be good practice and make her feel like she was contributing to his training. Phil, on the other hand, looked shell shocked.

"Jeez, Marty! I'm never going to remember all this!"

"Focus on the dates, times, names and places. Try some mnemonics, something that means something to you."

"Mnemonics?"

"Sure, like…do you know the names of all the great lakes?"

"Um, Superior, Erie….hell, I'm not even sure how many there are!"

"Five. Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie and Superior. HOMES."

"Huh. Think that will work?"

"Sure, and remember, if you can't remember a fact, do not make something up! She'll catch you in it and that would be bad, really, really bad."

"Okay." He didn't look convinced.

"Look, let's meet up early tomorrow morning for coffee. Same place. We'll quiz each other. Sometimes, being the one asking the questions helps you to remember the answers."

"Thanks, Marty, I really appreciate it." They turned to find Charlie standing there, looking a little lost.

"Charlie? Can you make seven tomorrow at the Starbucks down the street?" Deeks took pity on him and had to smile at how the younger man's face lit up with relief.

"Sure can! And, Marty? Thanks for including me. I know you didn't have to."

"Eh, the more, the merrier. With three of us, I think we can remember everything we need to." They walked out together and right into Cora Temple.

"Mr. Deeks? Could I have a word with you?" Deeks stomach twisted, wondering what he'd done wrong now. Phil came up to stand at his right shoulder and, no longer surprisingly, Charlie took up a spot at his left. He decided it was nice having friends. Cora smiled and added. "Alone? I won't take up much of your time." Deeks nodded at Phil and Charlie, who reluctantly moved away but stopped just out of earshot, turning and presenting a united front. Phil crossed his arms across his chest and Charlie immediately followed suit, bringing another smile to Deeks's face. Turning, the smile disappeared and he felt himself stiffen a little.

"What can I do for you Ms. Temple?"

"It's Cora and…" She paused for a minute, looking conflicted and Deeks waited while she wrestled with herself, finally coming to a decision. "Look, I don't want to sound like I'm telling you what to do, but watch out for Neal Carrington. He seems to have taken a dislike to you and, having met you, I can see why. He's about the most uptight man I've ever met and has a tendency to judge people by their appearance. He was the one who suggested I call on you when I started the class today. I think he assumed you'd not be able to answer me. Why, I'm not sure. He must know you have a law enforcement background and would probably have given testimony before."

"Given and taken."

"Taken?"

"Yeah, I worked in the Public Defender's office for Los Angeles for a couple of years, before deciding to become a cop."

"Really? As a researcher or assistant?"

"Actually, no. I WAS a public defender."

"Wha . . . what? You need to be a lawyer to be a public defender."

"Yeah, I was and still am. A lawyer that is. Graduated from Pepperdine with my law degree in hand. I sat and passed the bar in D.C., New York, Nevada, and California, for various reasons. I would appreciate you keeping that fact to yourself though. I don't want to give S.A Carrington any more facts than he already has. He only knows I was a cop and then a detective, nothing more."

"Really? Well, that sounds like an interesting story. I hope you'll share it with me sometime. Anyway, I won't keep you, just be careful around Carrington. From what I saw today, I think you'll make an excellent agent and I'd hate to see him derail you somehow."

"Thanks, Cora."

"You're welcome Mr. Deeks."

Deeks held his hand out and she took it. "It's Marty or Deeks. I answer to both." He grinned lopsidedly at her and she smiled in return, feeling a little tingle up her arm and wondered at it. He must be at least a decade younger than her but, she reasoned, she wasn't dead and he was an exceptionally attractive, if somewhat scruffy, man with a smile that just lit him up, and those eyes! A girl could get into a lot of trouble looking into those eyes. With those thoughts running through her head she could feel her face turn red.

"Very well, Marty then. I'll see you…" she looked over at the two men who were watching them like hawks. "…and your posse, tomorrow."

Deeks looked the same way and laughed. "Tomorrow then." She nodded, then turned and walked back into the building, already making up a schedule in her head, of who would be giving testimony tomorrow and in what order. He watched her go and turned back to find both men were now standing right behind him, to the point where his nose bumped up against Phil's. "Jeez, guys! Ever hear of personal space?"

They all laughed and walked out to the parking lot together, trying to get out of Deeks what the instructor had wanted with him. Obviously, it wasn't something bad as they'd both seen them shake hands and laugh together. When he wouldn't tell them what they talked about, both started throwing out suppositions, ending when Charlie offered up the suggestion that she was asking him out. Deeks looked at him in shock and just got into his car, neither confirming nor denying. With the long drive back to Savannah, he had plenty of time to think over what she'd said and to worry about what one man could do to make his life miserable, deciding then and there to keep his mouth closed unless asked something and thinking of what he would do if he was in some way rail-roaded out of FLETC. Vowing to himself that he would do everything in his power to not let that happen.

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	6. Chapter 6

A/N – Is anybody still out there reading this? LOL! Sorry for the long delay, lots going on. First Thanksgiving, then had the hard job of going on vacation to beautiful Punta Cana, then Christmas snuck up on me. I was just about ready to finally get down to writing this when I tore the meniscus in my right knee. Ended up on crutches and it wasn't comfortable to sit at my desk for long periods of time. Doing better now and hoping to avoid surgery with cortisone shots and physical therapy. At least I can now sit in my corner and pound away on my laptop!

I know I also owe responses to reviews and a couple PMs, I'm getting to them, I promise! In the meantime, to anyone who reviewed who I haven't responded to, thank you!

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Chapter 6

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Arriving home, Deeks showered and changed after taking Monty out and giving him his dinner. While he'd been able to find a kid in the neighborhood to take the dog out for his walks and feed him, he still liked to head with his old buddy for a rambling walk. Recharged, he headed over to the hospital with the case study, stopping quickly at the drive through of a burger joint to get a contraband burger for him, one for Kensi and an extra that might come in handy, along with a couple orders of fries. It wouldn't be the first time he'd smuggled some food in for her and he was pretty sure the nurses were aware but turned a blind eye to it. The extra burger wouldn't be a bribe…exactly…just a nice…gesture to say thanks for all the care his girl was getting.

He sat in the car for a minute after parking and thought about Carrington. He'd decided earlier not to let Kensi in on what was going on, but that had been when the man had just given him a hard time at Orientation. Now the man was intruding on his actual classes and he knew he had to tell her what was happening. They'd promised no more lies or deceptions and not telling her what was going on felt like lying by omission. He hoped the news that he'd made another new friend in class in the form of Charlie, and that he may have found an ally and possible mentor in Cora Temple, would make her feel better about the situation.

He got out and headed inside, stopping to talk to the night registration attendant, asking her about her two year old son who was just getting over an ear infection. He stopped and got a couple cans of Coke from the vending machine. Reaching Kensi's floor, he shoved the three Five Guys bags into his coat and zipped it up, hoping there was no telltale bulge. He'd almost made it to her door without seeing anyone, hopeful that all three burgers would be theirs, when he heard his name called. Turning, he smiled at the nurse heading his way. "Hey Kyle! What's up?"

"Nothing much Marty, just wanted to say hi and let you know how well Kensi is doing. She's a real trooper!"

"That she is, nothing can keep her down for long!"

Kyle sniffed a little, the scent of burgers reaching his nose and making his mouth water. He smirked a little, knowing that for such a slender person, Kensi could really pack away the food. He almost resented her for her high metabolism. As Deeks caught the sniff and the smirk, he transferred both Cokes to one hand and reached into his jacket, pulling out the extra burger. "I got an extra one tonight, interested?"

"Oh? And just why did you get more than you needed?" Kyle asked, even as he reached for the bag.

"Oh, you know, thinking she might be extra hungry tonight, with you guys working her out all day long."

"Uh, huh. Well, thanks, it just so happens I'm on my way to my dinner break and this will make a nice change from cafeteria food." Kyle smiled, he knew Kensi wasn't on any special diet and that Deeks really didn't have to sneak the food in, but it had become a sort of game between the man and several of the nurses on the floor, including him. Kensi had quickly become a favorite and the man who obviously loved her deeply, was a close second. Tucking the bag under his arm, he held out his hand. "Thanks Marty." Deeks shook it.

"You're welcome. See you later?"

"Sure thing. Now, go in and keep your lady company. She worked hard today and she deserves some extra special attention."

Deeks laughed. "Will do. Have a great night if I don't see you."

"You too." Kyle walked away, swinging the bag back and forth.

Turning back to the door, he knocked and was rewarded with a happy sounding command to enter. He walked in to find her smiling at him widely. "Hey baby, heard you did good today!" He said.

"Who's been tattling?"

"I ran into Kyle outside."

Kensi's nose twitched and she held out her hand imperiously. "Give to me the food!"

Laughing, he pulled out the remaining two bags and placed them on the rolling table, along with the drinks. Maneuvering it over her bed, he snagged a chair with his foot and pulled it up beside her, watching as she eagerly pulled the burgers and fries out of the bag. He knew from experience that he'd have to grab his quickly or he'd end up with nothing, so he quickly snatched up his own burger and fries, much to her disappointment. They ate quietly and Kensi finished before him, as per usual, then proceeded to snatch a couple fries from his remaining ones. She took a deep swig of the Coke and let out a loud and contented burp. He paused, his own burger half way to his mouth and just looked at her. She grinned at him and he responded as he usually did. "Sweet!" She laughed at the memory it invoked, a case from so many years ago, around the time when they had begun to really come together as partners and friends.

Once he was done and had dealt with the trash, he pulled out the case study. "Feel like helping me with my homework?"

Her eyes lit up and she reached out for the folder. While she was rifling through it, she asked. "How was your first day of class?"

"Pretty good, the teacher was great and I actually learned some things about giving testimony. She's a real professional. Also made another new friend. This one is named Charlie. Seems like a good kid." He hadn't told her about Charlie accusing him of lying about his profession, as that would have led to telling her about Carrington. He had, however, filled her in about Phil, both of them laughing at how small a world it was that he happened to make friends with someone who knew Sam. Something in his tone raised her suspicions.

"What's wrong?"

"Look, Kensi, I didn't tell you about this because I didn't want you to worry. I thought it was a one and done kind of thing, but now it seems like it could be an issue." He paused.

"And?"

"The agent who led our Orientation took a dislike to me and was kind of obvious about it."

"And?"

"And, apparently he went to Cora and tried to interfere with my class today."

"Cora?" Kensi wasn't worried about Deeks, but women tended to get a little more interested in him than she liked.

"Yeah, my teacher for this class. Nice lady, real smart and, like I said, professional."

"What did he do?"

"Asked her to call on me today with a question he must have been pretty sure I wouldn't be able to answer. Which is dumb, seeing as he knows I was in law enforcement."

"What good would that have done?"

"Make me look bad? Make her think I wasn't cut out to be an agent? I don't know. Doesn't seem like a smart move to me."

"What's his name?"

"Neal Carrington, why?"

She was already reaching for her phone on the bedside table. "Let's get Nell and Eric on it. See what they can dig up on this guy."

He put his hand over hers, stilling it. "Kens, no."

"Why not?"

"If you involve the wonder twins, the whole team will eventually get involved, including Hetty and Granger."

"So?"

"So, they'll all descend on Glynco and I'll be outted."

She sighed and let go of the phone. "What are you going to do then?"

"See how it plays out and watch my back. I have friends and allies now. I can handle this." She searched his eyes and saw that he was asking her to trust him. She nodded. He let go of her hand and sat back. "So, ready to help me with my homework?"

"Bring it on!" She was willing to trust him but she'd be watching him, watching for signs that something was going wrong and that he was hiding it from her, not because he wanted to lie to her, but because he would see it as protecting her.

~,~,~,~,~

Deeks got out of the car and stretched, smothering a yawn. It had been a late night. Kensi had grilled him on the brief well past visiting hours, until they'd finally kicked him out. He'd gone back to his small apartment and studied some more, Monty snuggled up against him, laptop open on the other side as he did his own research on the case. The brief gave all the information but nothing on how the case had actually gone in court and he just had to know. He'd found several articles in local city papers where the case had happened, gathering information on everyone involved, including those just on the periphery.

He'd finally turned out the light at 1:00 in the morning and had been up at 4:30 so that he could be here on time. He looked at his watch, he was a couple minutes late but he figured Phil and Charlie wouldn't care. He reached into the car and snagged his suit coat, shrugging into it and shooting his shirt sleeves, fixing the tie he'd loosened for the commute. He closed the door, locked the car and headed into the Starbucks to meet his friends.

Once inside, he scoped out the store and found them sitting at a table in the back, both of them pouring over the case study, oblivious to those around them. He smiled and went up to place his order. The barista behind the counter was the same woman who'd been on duty when he and Phil had met up two days earlier. She looked up and her jaw dropped. Not thinking, she said. "You clean up nice!" He'd trimmed his beard and moustache, put on his best suit, shirt and tie, taming his normal messy hair, knowing he was still a bit unkempt, but looking more professional than his normal surfer self. He smiled and placed his order. When it was ready, he sauntered over to the table.

"Mind if I sit here?" He asked.

Both men looked up and took a moment to place the man standing before him. Phil whistled and repeated what the barista has said. "You clean up nice!"

Deeks smirked. "Thanks Phil, but I'm already taken."

"Ha ha, sit down already." Phil replied. Both men were also dressed in suits, the norm for Charlie, but different for Phil. Still, the man didn't look all that much different.

"You guys ready?" He asked.

Charlie swallowed hard. "I studied all night but I'm just not sure I can remember all this information!"

"Don't sweat it. She won't expect you to remember it all like you were the arresting officer, just that you remember some of the most important parts. Just don't make anything up, whatever you do!"

Charlie nodded nervously and went back to reading the brief, continuing to drink his coffee until the third sip from the empty cup. He looked at it and then up to his two new friends. "I can't do this." He whispered.

Deeks responded fiercely. "Yes, you can! We'll help you. We're all going to pass with flying colors, nothing else is acceptable."

Charlie swallowed and nodded. "What do we do?"

"We have almost two hours before class. That gives us an hour and three quarters to grill each other and make sure we all know the answers." He wasn't sure how good their memories were, feeling kind of guilty that his was almost eidetic. "Come on, time's wasting, I'll grill each of you, one at a time." He proceeded to do his best imitation of a defense attorney, asking them question after question, calling their memory into doubt, trying to call their integrity into question. When he was done, both looked like they had been through the wringer.

Charlie shook his head. "Is this what's it like to be on the stand?"

Deeks grinned. "It can be. It depends on how good the defendant's attorney is. Me? I've been on the receiving end of many an examination that called my memory, my integrity, even my ancestry, into question, specifically my mother and father's relationship."

"You what?" Charlie sputtered.

"He's been called a bastard on the stand." Phil responded with a laugh.

"How'd that work out?" Charlie asked.

"Contempt of court." Deeks replied. "Okay, one of you is now the attorney, and I'm the witness. Go."

They continued in this manner until it was time to leave for class. Phil and Charlie were feeling more optimistic as Deeks had praised them for their performance. "Ok, if you guys can remember what you just did, you'll pass with no problem." The three grinned at each other as they headed out to their respective cars.

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They arrived at the Glynco facility together, parking next to each other in a row. Deeks had to smile as the three musketeers came to mind. Getting out, the three turned as a unit towards the building where they would have day two of their class. Phil was paying attention to their surroundings, like any good retired seal and stopped, pulling his two friends to a stop with him. Deeks looked at him and asked. "What?" Phil used his chin to point over to the right of the building. Neal Carrington was standing there with a young man they recognized as being from their class, the two deep in conversation. Deeks sighed. He had no idea what was going on, but he could guess.

"Never mind that, just remember what we studied and do our best. If you don't forget what we know, nothing they do can impact us."

"Dude, seriously, are you sure you never met him before? Like, did you sleep with his wife? His sister? His daughter? Alienate his dog's affections? Steal his bible?" Phil asked.

"No to all those questions and did you seriously just make a Romancing the Stone reference?" Deeks replied.

"Yes I did, and did you seriously just pick up on that fact?" Phil replied, his left eyebrow raised.

"Hey, it was a fun movie!" Deeks laughed. Both turned to look at Charlie, figuring the kid would be looking totally confused. Instead they found him staring intently at the two men across the way.

"Hey, Charlie! You with us man?" Phil asked.

Charlie started and turned towards his friends, a frown marring his forehead. "Look, Marty…" He paused as if unsure if he should go on. Deeks tilted his head at him, waiting to see what he had to say. Taking a deep breath, he continued. "Look, don't laugh at me, okay?" He got the hoped for nods from them and continued on. "One of the reasons I wanted to become a federal agent is that I get…feelings about people. I can usually tell if they're good and can be trusted or if there's something off about them. My dad used to say I'd get a "vibe" from folks. I'm right about 99% of the time. I eventually want to go into profiling. " He stopped again and looked at Deeks sheepishly. "It's why I was up all night after confronting you about not really being a cop. My instincts were that you were a good man and could be trusted, but I let Carrington make me question that. It's why I tracked you down to apologize."

Deeks couldn't belittle him for this as he often got gut feelings that had, on occasion, saved his life. He saw Phil nodding out of the corner of his eye and figured the other man probably had those same feelings. When in the middle of a war zone, you paid attention to those feelings or you got dead.

When neither man called his sanity into question, Charlie continued. "The guy Carrington is talking to is Mark Roberts. I talked to him for a bit just before Orientation and, let's just say I would stay as far away from him as possible." He shivered a bit in the warm sunshine and looked at the men standing with him. Both were now watching Carrington and Roberts with narrowed eyes. He breathed a sigh of relief, both because he had warned Marty and because it appeared he hadn't lost the new friendships he was coming to treasure. He didn't often tell people about his intuitions as they tended to distance themselves from him afterwards. It wasn't like he claimed to be psychic or anything, he just seemed more tuned into whatever signals, wavelengths or whatever it was, that people gave off.

Charlie and Phil were both worried, although they knew they weren't the target for Carrington's machinations. They worried for their friend but didn't voice it as they knew it wouldn't be appreciated. Moving together, they turned and entered the building to take their seats. The front of the classroom had been turned into a mini courtroom, complete with judge's bench and witness stand.

When Cora entered the room, she looked around and found Marty, offering him a smile that made him feel better. Moving to the lectern, she looked around the class, noting that all were present and it was time to begin. "Okay, are you all ready?" Nods met her question from around the room, some not as confident as others. "As I said yesterday, you will all be on the witness stand, but what I didn't tell you was that you will also do double duty as the defense attorney. Each pair will take turns at each role, getting five minutes as witness and five as attorney. Only the defense attorney will be allowed to look at the brief. The witness must answer from memory."

She smile at the room and went on. "The rest of you will be serving as jurors. After each segment, you will be asked to vote on whether you think the defendant is innocent or guilty, based solely on the testimony of the witness and/or how well the attorney did in his questioning of said witness. Please do not vote for the witness solely on the fact that you too hope to become law enforcement. Listen and observe, then make your decision based on that information alone. Obviously, this is not how a real trial would proceed. In a real trial, there would be multiple witnesses and a prosecuting attorney. I will be acting as judge and will only step in if the cross examination starts to get out of hand or strays off course."

She rubbed her hands together, seeming to be enjoying herself and Deeks had to smile. He found her enthusiasm contagious. "Now, I've selected the order in which you will be serving as witness but I'll leave the attorney up to volunteers. Just be aware that the witness you are taking testimony from now, will then be the attorney you are giving testimony to later. There's a life lesson in there somewhere." The class laughed at her small joke.

Deeks, Phil and Charlie exchanged looks and smiles. Deeks's training was going to come in handy. "I'd like Mr. Deeks to come up as our first witness. Who would like to be our first attorney?" Not surprising to Deeks, Charlie or Phil, Mark Roberts was the first hand to shoot up. Cora nodded at him. "Mr….."

"Mark Roberts, ma'am."

"Mr. Roberts, please come up to take your turn as the attorney." Phil and Deeks exchanged a look and Deeks tweaked an eyebrow towards Charlie, getting a miniscule nod in return. Phil would make sure he was the attorney for Charlie's stint at witness and would keep an eye on the younger man both had started to feel protective of. Deeks smiled in return and made his way to the witness stand, noting that Roberts deliberately moved in his way with his chest puffed out. He sighed and juked to the left, catching the man off guard and finally made it to the stand. He chanced a look at Cora and figured by the frown on her face, that she had seen the small exchange between the two of them. She looked at him and he gave a quick one shouldered shrug to acknowledge it. She narrowed her eyes and he had the feeling he would be staying after class again tonight.

"Mr. Roberts, Mr. Deeks, you may proceed. You have five minutes, starting now."

Roberts moved up close to the witness stand, placed his hands on the rail and leaned in. "Mr. Bancroft, isn't it true that you stalked my client for weeks before arresting him?" He asked belligerently. "Isn't it true that your supposed case against him is vengeance because he turned down your advances?"

Deeks had to suppress a smile. Obviously the man had no clue. "Detective Bancroft."

"Excuse me?" Roberts took a step back.

"My name, it's Detective Bancroft. And in response to your questions, no."

"No, what?"

"No, I did not stalk your client. I was part of a six detective task force who surveilled a known drug dealer in the hopes of finding his supplier. In groups of two, we took eight hour turns with our partner, so we were never alone, so that we had a corroborating eye witness and so that we had back up at all times. No, I did not get turned down by Mr. Turner as no advances towards him were ever made by me. He has the wrong…equipment for me to be interested." His tone was mild and unoffended.

Most everyone in the audience chuckled at his response, making Roberts turn red. He began to pace in front of the witness stand, doing his best impersonation of every television attorney he'd ever seen, as he pounced on Deeks's words. "Very well. What you're saying then, is that you allowed a _known_ drug dealer to continue to sell drugs to people, including children, while you sat back and watched him do so. Why not arrest him and get him off the streets if you were so sure of his guilt?"

Deeks looked him right in the eyes. "Yes, sir, we did allow this to continue. We had two choices. Allow him to continue dealing and eventually get his supplier as well as him, which would take both of them off the streets, or arrest him and hope that he would give up his source in order to get a better deal. The person we suspected was his supplier, had a reputation for making those who cooperated with the police, disappear, making it unlikely that your client would give us a name. In addition, this supplier was a major player in the area. Removing this person from the equation would make it harder for other dealers to get their drugs to sell, at least for a time."

"I'm sure that's a comfort to those parents whose children overdosed or became newly addicted to drugs you claim my client dealt during that time, while you sat back and _surveilled_."

Deeks felt a momentary anger rise up and quickly squashed it down, figuring that was exactly what Roberts wanted and kept silent. The quiet lasted a few seconds until Roberts couldn't stand it anymore. "Well _Detective_ Bancroft?"

"What?"

"You have no answer for that?" Roberts smirked at him.

"I'm sorry sir, I wasn't aware I had been asked a question. Could you perhaps rephrase it in such a way that I can give you an answer?"

Roberts turned red again, leaned in and asked. "Are you able to sleep at night knowing you let someone you were so sure was a drug dealer, continue to peddle his wares with no interference from you or anyone else on the police force?"

"Yes, sir." He took his own advice from the day before and kept his answer simple. He didn't offer any more information that what he'd been asked for. Frustrated, Roberts moved on. He consulted his notes and Deeks saw a small smile cross his face. He knew the other man was going to try to trip him up and decided to take his time answering the next questions, making sure he was accurate on all dates, times, names and places.

Roberts began. "On the night of December 23rd, 2010 at 12:32 AM, you claim that you followed my client and saw him exchange money for drugs in a dark abandoned warehouse. You entered said warehouse and arrested him and a woman named Patricia Jennings. A woman who my client contends he was confronting about her selling drugs in his neighborhood. That he had gone there to meet her in order to threaten that he would go to the cops with information he had on her, if she didn't stop."

"Actually, it was December 13th. My partner, Detective Alvarez and I, both witnessed the exchange in person. Your client was caught with the drugs in his possession as he tried to leave the premises. Ms. Jennings was caught with the money your client had brought with him in a briefcase. A briefcase we saw him leave his house with and take with him into the warehouse. A briefcase that contained in excess of one hundred thousand dollars."

Once again abandoning the facts, Roberts honed in on only a part of Deeks's answer and he then used that to try to call the witness's character into question, making it up as he went, coming close to the truth on only one thing. "Ah, yes, your partner, Detective Inez Alvarez. A very attractive woman. Are you sure that you were _surveilling_ my client and not otherwise….occupied?"

Deeks was glad he'd gone the extra mile and researched the players in the brief, trying to get a feel for them outside the emotionless words on a page. "Yes sir, I am sure that we were not otherwise occupied. Most of the personal conversation between my partner and I tended to center on either her six year old son, who had just started kindergarten and was not dealing well with being away home for long periods each day, her husband's new promotion at work or the weird cravings my seven months pregnant wife was experiencing late at night, resulting in me making late night runs to whatever store was open and might carry what she was craving. When we knew it was going down, we called in for back up and had additional eye witnesses, in the form of four other detectives, by the time we arrested your client and Ms. Jennings. I would also like to add that his fingerprints were later found on the case."

Roberts looked like he didn't quite know how to respond and Cora Temple was impressed. The information about the people involved was accurate but not in the briefs she'd handed out. Very little personal information about any one of them was included. The actual conversation that might have happened between the two partners was made up by the pretend witness, but was extremely likely based on what she knew about the two partners in question.

She'd be giving Mr. Deeks high marks for thoroughness and preparation as well as for grace under pressure and knowledge of his subject matter. Roberts, on the other hand, had best do a better job as witness than he was doing as attorney. She looked at her watch and said. "Time's up gentleman. It's now in the hands of the jurors." She looked up at the class. "All those who would find the defendant guilty, raise their hands." Every hand in the room went up, even those of people Roberts seemed to favor sitting with. Something that Deeks noticed Roberts noticing and suddenly understood the feeling that Charlie had had about the man. Cora continued. "As all of you found him guilty, I won't bother to ask for those who would not. Gentleman, you may switch roles now."

Deeks stood up and went to leave the witness stand, only to find Roberts already trying to force his way in. Not wanting a confrontation, he simply turned and went out the back way, walking back around the fake stand to the front, something he would not be able to do in a real courtroom. Roberts sat in the chair with a smug look on his face that made Deeks want to smack it away. He reminded himself that he'd done well as the witness and that Roberts hadn't been able to sway even one person to his side. If he could rely on his experience as an attorney and his new understanding of the man's personality, maybe he could also get the same jurors to find the defendant innocent this time. He wanted to rub his hands in anticipation but kept still.

"Mr. Deeks, you may begin…now." Cora said.

Deeks smiled at Roberts. "Good morning Detective Bancroft." Roberts leaned back in the chair and didn't respond. Deeks chocked one up for himself. Roberts was not portraying the detective as very likable and he knew from experience that rude witnesses were a turn off for a juror. He continued. "Yes, well then, pleasantries aside, let's proceed, shall we? Now, Detective, it was your sworn statement that you began observing my client based on information from one Steve Hanks, a confidential information and habitual drug user, correct?"

Roberts nodded. Deeks tilted his head, turned and addressed Cora. "Your honor, if I could request that the witness respond vocally so that the jurors may hear his answer?"

"Detective Bancroft, you are so instructed."

Roberts huffed out a pained sigh and responded. "Yes."

"And you used the information from Mr. Hanks to initiate an investigation into my client, Mr. Turner. Someone who had never had any trouble with the law before, an upstanding man in his community. An informant who had given the police incorrect information on more than one occasion, one time even leading to the arrest of an innocent woman. A woman who was eventually set free and later filed a wrongful imprisonment suit against the police, is that not correct?"

Roberts looked bewildered as this information was not in the briefing. Deeks had found it when digging deeper into the crime beat reports, following trails within trails, as was often necessary with police work, something he loved and couldn't resist. His statement was actually true, the CI wasn't reliable and there had been a false arrest and lawsuit. He watched the man struggle with his answer and finally blurt out. "No, that is not true."

From the corner of his eye, he saw Cora shake her head. Turning to the acting jurors, Deeks smiled. "Actually, Detective Bancroft, it _is_ true that Steve _Banks_ was unreliable and, through misinformation, did open the door for a lawsuit. One that was settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. I have to wonder. If you don't even remember the correct name of the informant who set you on my client or that said informant cost your department a lot of money, how confident can I, and these fine jurors, be of any of the testimony you are giving against my client today?"

Roberts was furious and stood up from the chair, having every intention of going after Deeks. "Mr. Roberts, you will sit and you will continue in your capacity as witness or you will be asked to leave this class and, by extension, the NCIS agent program. Do I make myself clear?" Cora's voice left no doubt that she would kick him out of the program without a second thought.

Reigning himself in, Roberts sat and made an effort to calm himself. "My apologies Agent Temple. I was caught off guard by the stories that Mr. Deeks is making up."

"Mr. Deeks is doing exactly what he was told to. To cross exam you and plant seeds of doubt in the juror's minds. Just as you tried to do when you claimed that the detective from this case was using the charges as vengeance against the defendant or that he was more involved with fooling around with his partner during the stake out, than he was in paying attention to his job. The difference being that Mr. Deeks got you to respond to a question you had no information on and had no business answering, while you only threw innuendos at him. Please keep that in mind."

Roberts nodded and turned back, but glared at Deeks. Just what he needed, he'd made another enemy through no fault of his own. They'd all been warned not to respond to questions when they weren't 100% sure of the answer. He had no doubt that Carrington had set Roberts on him and that he would protect the man from being dismissed from the program if he could, if only to fuel the enmity Roberts now felt towards Deeks. He caught Phil's eye and then Charlie's, seeing his concern mirrored on their faces. He smiled at them, but it didn't reach his eyes and they noticed. Swallowing, he turned back to his witness and continued to question him.

"Now, Detective, on the afternoon of December 12th, you went on duty with your partner, Detective Alvarez at 2 PM, taking over from Detectives Nguyen and Chambers. Based on the task force guidelines, you were to be relived at 10 PM, which would then mean you would not have seen my client leave his house with a briefcase after midnight on the 13th. Yet you claim you were still there, 10 hours into your 8 hour shift. Why is that?" He emphasized the delay of switching the detectives on duty, hoping it would mask the other data inconsistencies.

"I don't know." Roberts at least was smarter with his answer, although the information had been in the case study.

"Isn't it true that your relief got hung up and you were forced to stay on stakeout until they could make it to you?"

"Yes." Deeks could see that the man now remembered something about that from the notes.

"Actually, you went on duty at 4. You were to be relieved at midnight and your relief was only a few minutes late, not two hours. By the time your shift was over, you were already on the move, following my client. Did you notify your dispatcher of what was happening?"

"Yes." It came out as more of a question than an answer and Deeks had to wonder if the man had studied at all.

"Good for you. You got one right." Roberts's hands clenched into fists but he stayed in his seat. Deeks decided he was done questioning his witness, done poking the bear, although it was usually not something he balked at. He figured he was close to his five minute limit anyway. Instead, he turned and addressed his classmates as if they were actual an actual jury. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, as you have seen, the testimony of the arresting officer is suspect at best, criminal at worst. Basic facts have eluded him and called into question everything he has stated prior to this moment. I would ask that you consider that when making a decision that could send an innocent man to prison for a very long time. Thank you."

Cora looked at her watch and grinned. "Mr. Deeks, your five minutes are up. Jury, what say you? Who would find the defendant guilty?" Two hands went up. Cora's eyebrow went up. "Who would find the defendant not guilty?" The rest of the hands went up, giving Deeks an overwhelming majority. "Very well, the defendant is found not guilty this time. Congratulations Mr. Deeks. Mr. Roberts, better luck next time." She wanted to add that he was going to need it but thought the man was already on the edge. Something she would be discussing with her superiors before the week was out. He really wasn't suited to becoming a federal agent, in her opinion. She consulted her schedule. "Next up as witness is Charles Caldwell."

Charlie stood up and both Deeks and Phil were on edge. He made his way to the witness stand, sat down and found his friends in the audience. He gave them a smile and a thumbs up, making both of them smile in return. "Who would like to volunteer to be the attorney to cross exam Mr. Caldwell?" Phil's hand shot up a second after a woman sitting three seats over and one row closer to the front. For once, Cora let her personal opinion override what was fair and chose Phil for the attorney. Neither Phil nor Deeks missed the look of disappointment on the young woman's face as she stared at Charlie. They both hid a smile at the thought of Charlie having a secret admirer in the class.

The rest of the day passed quickly, none of the role playing scenarios having the same drama as the first. When it was finally over, everyone, including Cora, was exhausted and ready to head home for the day. Cora stood up. "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Most of you acquitted yourself very well today. Others could use work but keep at it." She kept herself from looking at Roberts. She'd be giving him very low marks and making a recommendation that he was not cut out to be a federal agent. She just hoped Carrington wouldn't be able to override her. The man seemed less than stable. "Class dismissed."

Deeks stood up to find Charlie and Phil immediately flanking him. As they made their way out of the room, several others flocked to their side, including Charlie's admirer. Each asking questions about what it was like to be on the stand in a real trial, some saying that his turn as attorney was so well done, they could almost believe he was a lawyer, almost making Deeks choke on his laughter. Roberts glowered at them from a distance, his face giving away what would happen if Deeks hadn't been surrounded by so many others. As they made their way to the door, he heard Cora. "Mr. Deeks, could you stay behind for a moment?"

Deeks had pretty much been expecting it and stopped, nodding to Phil and Charlie. Both nodded back and Phil said loudly. "We'll be right outside waiting for you Marty." Deeks grinned as they left.

When everyone was gone, he smiled at Cora. "What's up?"

She smiled back but then turned serious. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to come back to being a lawyer? You did really well today."

"Thank you, but my days as a lawyer are done."

"What turned you against it?'

"I had too many clients, not enough time. I got sick of it. Went on to become a cop, hoping I could stop some of the things I saw come across my desk as a P.D. Thinking the same might hold true as a fed."

She nodded, having had her own experiences with an overloaded system. "I get it. Look, watch out for Roberts. I'm not too sure he's playing with a full deck."

"Yeah, pretty sure he's a suit short, let alone a few cards. Saw him talking to Carrington earlier, before class started. Might be what set him off on me."

Cora shook her head. "Look, this has gone beyond Carrington taking a disliking to you because of the way you look. This has become his actively trying to get you thrown out of the program for no reason. I have to report this to my superiors."

Deeks sighed. "I get it. You have to do what you have to do. Just, don't push it too hard, okay? It's bad enough to have him on my case. If it gets out that I have the powers that be on my side, things could get worse." Exactly why he didn't want his NCIS team to be interfering on his behalf.

"I understand." She put out her hand. "I want you to know you're getting the top marks in my class. I hope you do as well in your others. I also hope you'll keep in touch."

He took hers and squeezed. "I appreciate it, Cora. And I want you to know that I've learned a lot from you the last two days. It's been enjoyable." He released her hand and left, joining his friends and the rest of the hangers on just outside the door. For some reason, the atmosphere turned jovial, perhaps from relief that the day was over. They lingered in the courtyard, discussing upcoming courses, comparing experiences, until finally dispersing as people started drifting away to go home. Eventually only Deeks, Charlie and Phil were left.

"So, shooting tomorrow. I know Phil has experience, how about you Charlie?"

"Yup, grew up with a shotgun in my hand. Shouldn't be an issue."

The three smiled at each other and headed to their cars, their feet dragging as the day caught up with them. Deeks yawned widely as they got close and the other two laughed. He paused after opening his car. "See you guys tomorrow?"

"Yup." Phil said.

"You betcha!" Charlie added.

The three of them went their separate ways, watched by two separate sets of eyes, each unaware of the other. One frustrated, one manically determined.

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	7. Chapter 7

A/N – Thanks to everyone who sent well wishes! Looking more and more like I might be able to avoid surgery. Yay!

A/N2 – As always, my thanks to honus47 for reviewing and catching all the mistakes I missed. Any left are my fault.

Chapter 7

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Deeks pulled into the Starbucks parking lot and had to smile. This was becoming a ritual of the three musketeers, meeting for coffee before the start of class. He got out of the car and easily located both Phil and Charlie's cars already there. Locking up behind him, he strode into the store. Inside he found his friends at what had become their table in the back corner. Surprisingly, the group had grown by one as he recognized the pretty young female trainee who had wanted to be Charlie's attorney during yesterday's exercises. He hid a smile as he watched the young woman hang on his newest friend's every word. Phil looked up and caught his eye, smirked and lifted an eyebrow towards the two who were totally wrapped up in each other. It would seem that they had just added their own version of D'Artagnan. He ordered his coffee and made his way to the table.

"Hey guys and girl." He said as he sat.

"Hey Marty! This is Amanda Cross." Charlie responded.

"Ms. Cross, it's nice to meet you." Deeks put his hand out.

Taking it, she smiled brightly. "It's Amanda, please. It a pleasure to meet you as well."

"So, Marty, Amanda wants to join our little study group. I said that would be okay, if it's okay with you?" Charlie asked anxiously. "Phil's in."

"Of course! The more the merrier." Deeks took a sip of his coffee, closed his eyes and let out a loud contented sigh, causing the others to laugh. "What? A good cup of coffee is always a pleasure!"

Amanda held up her own extra-large cup and said, "Here, here," as she held the cup out towards him. Deeks lifted his and they clinked cups. "Nothing like a good cup of coffee to get the day started out right."

"Couldn't agree more." He smiled at her and she returned it.

"So, how's Kensi doing?" Charlie asked. Deeks had to hide the smile that threatened to break out. Somehow, he thought Charlie's asking, was more about letting Amanda know Deeks had a girlfriend, than out of concern for said girlfriend. Although, to be fair, both he and Phil did ask after her all the time.

"She's doing great! The doctor is very pleased with her progress."

Amanda looked like she wanted to ask but was too polite to do so. He smiled at her. "Kensi's my girlfriend. She was in a bad accident a couple months back and temporarily lost the use of her legs. She's in rehab in Savannah and getting better every day! I have no doubt she'll be able to walk again."

"I'm so sorry to hear that! Please let her know that I hope she gets better."

"I will, thanks." He had already been predisposed to liking her and her kind words solidified that.

"What does Kensi do for work? Is her company taking care of her? My mom works in the insurance industry, I'm sure she'd be willing to advise you about any concerns you might have."

"That's very kind Amanda, but we're covered."

He took a sip of coffee and was about to tell her about Kensi when Charlie burst out. "Kensi's an NCIS agent!"

Amanda blinked in surprise. "She is? Is that why you're becoming an agent too? Why you left the police force?"

"Well, part of it. I left the force for other reasons and decided I might as well join her at NCIS." Changing the subject, he added. "Is everyone looking forward to today's class?"

Phil shrugged. "Been around guns all my life. Figure this one should be a cake walk for me. Same for you."

Charlie nodded. "I'm pretty handy with a gun. Hopefully this will be easier for me than the testimony class."

Amanda put her hand on his and smiled at him. "You did great in that class! You really knew your stuff and didn't let Phil get to you." Charlie smiled back, clearly besotted.

Phil cleared his throat and asked. "How about you Amanda? Ever handled a gun?"

"Sure, my dad's a retired marine. He made sure all of us knew the proper way to handle a gun and to always respect it."

"Good man!" Phil answered.

She smiled at him. "He really is. You remind me of him, a little."

Phil put on his best hangdog look. "You really think I look old enough to be your father?"

The look on her face was comical as she tried to backtrack. "No! No, that wasn't what I meant. I just meant that you, you know, you carry yourself like him, you know, with confidence and…and…"

Phil burst into laughter and as she finally realized he was teasing her, she smiled uncertainly.

"Phil, be nice to her! We want her to stay with the group, she makes the rest of us look better!" Deeks pretended to scold him. The rest laughed as talk turned to the upcoming class and why they had all applied to join NCIS. None of the men mentioned the trouble Deeks was having with Agent Carrington and now Mark Roberts. Deeks finished his last sip and looked at his watch. "Time to go kids, don't want to be late!" Agreeing, they gathered their trash and left the store, Deeks waving a goodbye to the barista who waited on them every day, getting a warm smile and wave in return.

Outside, they went to their respective cars with 'see you there's' and headed out. No one noticed the car that pulled out behind Deeks, the man behind the wheel wearing a cap and sunglasses. Mark Roberts had followed Charlie home the night before and had waited for him this morning. He'd then followed him here and had been rewarded when his target had shown up a short while later. He'd sat slouched in the car and focused on Deeks, noting the make, model and plate of his car. Agent Carrington had sought him out and said that Deeks would be bad for the agency; that he shouldn't be allowed to become an agent. He'd been honored that the man had trusted him and, in his own warped mind, had taken on getting Deeks out of the program as his first true mission as an agent. He'd tried to show everyone that Deeks couldn't cut it during the cross examinations yesterday, but somehow the man had turned the tables on him and had ended up making him look bad. He'd barely passed and he was pretty sure it was because Agent Temple had the hots for the ex-cop. That could be the only reason why Deeks had received top marks and he hadn't, something that made him more determined that the man was bad for _his_ agency and needed to go.

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They trooped into the classroom and took the only four empty seats together in the already filling up rows. None noticed that Roberts entered right behind them and took a seat two rows back, off to the side where he could watch Deeks. They continued to talk amongst themselves, teasing and joking while waiting for their next instructor to join them. When the man walked in, all talk ceased. He was an imposing man, built solidly and about as locked down as any marine they'd ever seen. Deeks gulped as he wondered if here was yet another agent who was going to take exception to the way he looked. He found himself thinking that maybe he should just get a haircut and shave, to fit in with the look of everyone else in the room, but dismissed the thought almost as soon as he had it. If he had to change who he was in order to become an agent, then maybe this wasn't for him after all. He watched the man walk back and forth in front of the room, his hand clasped behind his back and making eye contact with everyone. When it was his turn, he met those eyes with steady ones of his own.

Finished with his inspection of the trainees, the man stopped and began his speech. "My name is Special Agent Lucas Sheppard and I will be your instructor on weapons handling. Has anyone here ever shot a gun?" Every hand in the room went up. "Good, good. During this class you will not only be graded on your accuracy but also taught to treat your weapon with respect. Should you graduate from this academy, you will represent not only this agency, but the Navy, the Marine Corp and these United States. A gun is a deadly weapon and, in the wrong hands, can not only end a man's life, but can impact our relations with other nations. To point a gun at another human being is hard enough, to have to pull the trigger and kill him, can lead to personal trauma that will stay with you the rest of your life. Has anyone here ever had to take a life?"

Only Phil and Deeks hands went up. Charlie heard a snort behind him and turned to find Mark Roberts glaring at Deeks. Turning back, he nudged Phil and when he got his attention, cocked his head towards the row behind them. Phil looked and found Roberts, now staring ahead as if paying no attention to them, instead focusing only on the instructor's words. He frowned and turned back when he realized that Sheppard was addressing him. "Mr…."

"Johnstone, sir."

"You've killed a man?" Phil noticed all eyes were on him and he felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Retired seal, sir. I fought in Afghanistan and Iraq. I have, unfortunately, had to kill another human being."

"An enemy though, correct?"

"Yes sir, but a human being all the same." This answer seemed to please the agent as he nodded.

"And you, Mr…" Pointing at Deeks. "Somehow I don't think you come from a military background."

Deeks held in a sigh, thinking 'here we go again'. "Deeks sir. No, not military, police, ex-police."

"Ah, a LEO." Deeks had heard that expression used by agents of both NCIS and other agencies he'd worked with. Usually it was said with derision, but that was missing from the man's tone. He felt a slight uptick of hope that maybe this one wouldn't judge him on looks alone. Like Phil, he felt all eyes on him, some with curiosity; some with skepticism.

"Yes sir."

"How long?"

"Just over eleven years."

"And how many men have you killed in your career?"

"More than I want to count." It was a fact. He'd had to end the life of more people than he wanted to admit, yet all of them were necessary in order to stop others from dying.

"And were they all justified?"

Not knowing what the man was getting at, Deeks sat up straighter. "Yes, sir, either self-defense or in the defense of others."

"Does that make it easier?"

He looked Sheppard right in the eyes. "Never. I have to live with every decision to end a life for the rest of my days. However, second guessing myself afterwards is not an option as it could lead to hesitancy the next time I have to make that same decision, possibly leading to the loss of more life. It's an unfortunate necessity of the job. However, the moment it _does_ get easier, is the moment I hang up my gun and start stocking shelves in the local 7-11."

"That, Mr. Deeks, was one of the best answers I've ever gotten to that question in all my days of teaching this class. The rest of you, make sure you hear and understand what he just said. You may think that becoming an agent absolves you of any responsibility when you take a life, but know that the person whose life you just ended was someone's son, perhaps someone's mother or father, a brother, a sister or a best friend. It should never be taken lightly and should always be a last resort when nothing else will work. If you can point a gun at someone and take their life without compunction or regret, you should not be carrying a badge and a gun." He smiled. "Perhaps the local 7-11 is hiring." The small joke lessened the tension in the room.

"Another thing to note. Just because you have a badge and a gun, does not mean the bad guys you're going after won't also be armed. Just as you're firing at them, they _will_ be firing back at you. This is a dangerous job if you elect to be a field agent. You will, at some point in your career, take fire. It's possible you will even be shot. An experience that I hope you can avoid. Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Deeks, as our most likely to have taken fire, have either of you been shot?" Both of them nodded. Charlie and Amanda gaped at them a little. "How many times?"

Phil hesitated and when Deeks didn't respond, answered first. "Once, in the leg. I was lucky, my team wasn't."

"Watching a team member or a partner get shot is sometimes worse than taking the actual bullet yourself. Something else you will need to remember. Losing a team mate to deadly fire is a very real possibility and survivor's guilt has led to many a suicide. Mr. Deeks?"

"Twice, in the chest."

"You were shot on two separate occasions?"

"No, one shooting, two bullets."

"Were you on duty?"

"No, wrong place, wrong time. Store robbery. I wasn't on duty, but I was still a cop and I couldn't let what was happening continue. The owner was a nice guy and sort of a friend. I wasn't armed at the time."

Sheppard nodded. "Another good lesson. Once you take on this badge, you will never really be off duty. Even so, you need to be careful of what you get involved in when you aren't acting in an official capacity. Weigh the odds and remember that you aren't acting on your own, you are acting on behalf of this agency. At times, you will find that the chance to help someone outweighs those concerns, other times it won't." He smiled at Deeks to let him know he wasn't berating him.

"Now, during this class you will be taken to the firing range where you will practice with several types of guns, ranging from hand guns to automatic weapons." Hearing that, several people in the audience perked up. "AND, after each exercise, you will be expected to break down your gun, clean it and put it back together again." This time there were a few groans heard. "Ladies and gentlemen, a dirty gun can lead to misfiring, doing unexpected damage either to yourself or to innocent bystanders."

Deeks suddenly flashed to Sam sitting in the front of a van in Prague, cleaning his black market gun for about the tenth time while muttering about not trusting it. He found himself missing the big guy. He returned his focus to Sheppard as the man continued. "You will be graded not only on the accuracy of your shots, but on how quickly and how well you perform the task of cleaning your weapon. The gun you are handed today, will be yours for the rest of this class. On the last day, you will be taken to a simulation room where you will have to make split second decisions on whether to fire at a target or not. This simulation will include children, as well as other innocent bystanders, in addition to men with guns. How you react will determine whether or not you will proceed with this program. You will note that this is one of your longer classes. This is because it is one of the most important you will ever take. Your ability to handle your weapon correctly and accurately will make or break you as an agent. Are there any questions?"

When none were forthcoming, he nodded. "Very well then, we will adjourn to the firing range. Please exit through the door to my right." Everyone stood up and started to file out of the room. When Deeks, Charlie, Phil and Amanda reached Sheppard's level, he spoke again. "Mr. Deeks, a word?"

His three friends looked at him, two with worried expressions on their faces. He nodded and said. "You guys go ahead, I'll catch up." They reluctantly agreed and slowly left, Phil and Charlie looking back more than once. Somehow he had a feeling Amanda would be up to speed by the time he reached the firing range. Once the room was empty, he turned to look at Sheppard, his stance defensive. "What can I do for you, Agent Sheppard?"

Sheppard smiled and it relaxed his whole demeanor. Gone was the uptight military man and in his place was simply a curious man. "I wanted to reiterate that your answer was one of the best I've gotten in all my years of teaching this course, including some other LEO's I've had the pleasure of teaching in this program. I've seen plenty of men and women come through here, all gung ho about getting a gun and shooting up the bad guys. It's nice to have someone help bring them down to earth a bit. Someone who understands the gravity and responsibility of carrying a gun and being authorized to use deadly force. Walk with me."

Deeks nodded and the two men left the room, heading to the firing range. "So, Mr. Deeks…"

He interrupted. "People call me Deeks or Marty."

"I've noticed your friends call you Marty so I'll go with Deeks. Can't give the impression that I'm playing favorites. You said you were with the force for eleven years, what division?"

"Started out as a beat cop and when I made detective I chose undercover. That's why I look and dress like I do, can't look like a cop or it makes it pretty hard to infiltrate gangs or drug rings. It can, in fact, get you dead." He knew he sounded defensive.

Sheppard frowned and tilted his head at him. "Why should I care how you look or dress unless it impacts your ability to do the job? Mind you, I wouldn't expect you to show up to work in pajamas, but I see nothing wrong with the way you're currently dressed."

Deeks almost laughed. "Some seem to think the outward appearance is an indication of the kind of man I am, the kind of agent I'll be. In other words, I'm not worthy to wear the badge." Sam's words during the Sidorov case still rankled, although he bore no ill will towards his team mate for them. Sam had more than made up for that mistake. Still, Carrington making assumptions about him hit a bit too close to home.

"Who the hell would think…oh wait, let me guess? Carrington?" Deeks reluctantly nodded, his face carefully blank. He wouldn't have said anything but Cora already knew and he knew she wasn't going to let it drop, especially as they were both pretty sure that Carrington had co-opted a fellow trainee to try to bring him down. He didn't say anything further and Sheppard let it drop, respecting his unspoken desire not to discuss it any further. He had his own opinions about Carrington and he had a good feeling about Deeks. He was as sure as he could be, that the man walking beside him would be more than just a good agent. He'd keep his mouth shut but his eyes open during the coming weeks. He had eyes and ears everywhere. Changing the subject, he asked. "So, why did you leave?"

If Deeks were sitting, he would be squirming uncomfortably, not sure how much he wanted to share. He decided he'd go with a version of the truth. "My girlfriend was in a serious accident. She currently doesn't have the full use of her legs. Right now she's in rehab in Savannah. I wanted to be with her, so staying on the force wasn't really an option as we have no idea how long it will take. Glynco is close enough to be able to go through training while still supporting her in whatever ways I can."

"That's too bad, I hope she's doing well?"

Deeks smiled widely, causing Sheppard to smile in return. "Yes sir! She's doing very well, the doctors are very optimistic."

"That's good to hear. So, where are you from, originally? I've taught this course at several police academies over the years, all over the country."

"Los Angeles, born and bred."

"Really, I wouldn't have been able to guess." Sheppard smirked at him and Deeks laughed. "Guessing you also surf?"

"You bet! One of the best sports there is. Just you and your board against the water. It's like flying."

"I've never tried it, although I have taught in L.A. It must be, oh, nearly a decade ago, when I was last there. I remember a couple of names. Any chance they could be someone you know?"

"Could be. The L.A. police force is pretty big, it's hard to know everyone."

Sheppard threw out a couple names, some of which were familiar to Deeks but no one he knew personally. Then when he mentioned a Sergeant Roger Bates, Deeks felt a momentary concern. "Yeah, I know Bates. He's a lieutenant now and is, was, my commanding officer."

"Seemed like a good guy."

"He can be." He can also be a pain in the ass, he thought to himself.

"What does he think about you going to the dark side?" Sheppard would have to be stupid not to know there was a certain tension between federal agencies and local police forces, each wanting to keep the other out of what they felt was their business.

"He actually doesn't know. Only a couple people back in L.A. know. As far as most of them think, I'm just here for Kensi."

"Any particular reason?"

"Not really, just want to sink or swim on my own, as it were."

"I can understand that. So, what does your girlfriend do for work? Is she out on disability? I'm not prying, just want to be sure you're covered." Deeks hid a smile, thinking how closely the man's words mirrored Amanda's from earlier. The good people associated with NCIS far, far outweighed the bad.

"Actually, she's an NCIS agent and I knew enough about the agency to know I'd be proud to carry a badge for it."

Sheppard laughed. "Making it a family business?"

Deeks laughed in return. "You could say that."

"How does she feel about you becoming an agent?"

"She's been trying to get me to come over to the 'dark side' for years." Deeks made air quotes when he said dark side and both men smiled. "She's one bad ass federal agent, I can tell you that. No matter how good I get, she'll always be the best there is."

"Spoken like a man in love, and I should know. My wife is one bad ass marine and can wipe the floor with me at the shooting range." They looked at each other and both starting laughing, not noticing that they were under observation by the rest of the trainees who were patiently, or in one case, not so patiently, waiting at the firing range. Roberts, in particular, was disturbed by the sudden outward display of comradery the older man was showing for someone who he should be bouncing out of the program. He wasn't sure how Deeks did it, how he pulled the wool over everyone's eyes, but it was his duty to make sure that everyone saw him for what he was. Someone who didn't deserve to be in the same company as the rest of them.

Reaching the rest of the group, Deeks meandered over to his friends while Sheppard took his place in front of the firing points. "Ladies and gentleman, welcome to the Glynco firing range. Let me introduce you to Agent Henderson. He'll be setting up the targets and taking them down after each of your turns." A man who had been standing off to the side, waved in acknowledgement of his introduction. "Unlike indoor ranges, being outside teaches you to account for vagaries such as wind direction and velocity, along other such outside influences that can impact your ability to hit the target. During your training sessions over the next four days you will be subjected to rain and wind, heat and cold. You will be trained on how to adjust your aim accordingly." Most of the trainees looked up at the blue sky and the still trees that showed no wind was blowing at the moment.

"Not to worry. If the local weather doesn't cooperate, we have our own ways to produce rain, wind, heat and cold. Each of you will be stationed somewhere across this country or will be an agent afloat. It may be hot, it may be cold, but in all cases, my job is to make sure you are capable of accurately discharging your weapon under less than ideal conditions. For today, we will simply make use of the lovely day the beautiful state of Georgia has provided us with. While there are firing stations for five people, for this first round, I want to assess each of you, so we will go one at a time. Who wants to go first?" Almost every hand went up, Phil and Deeks being the exception. Both knew they were good marksmen and didn't want to look like they were showing off. It amused both of them to know what the other was thinking. Sheppard, too, understood and wasn't disappointed, in fact he'd planned on the two of them going last.

He pointed at one of the men. "You."

"John Lefebvre, sir."

"Please take your station." He said and pointed at the middle one. He turned back to the class. "For this initial assessment, you will each be using a SIG-Sauer P229, the standard issue weapon for all NCIS agents. You will be firing at three targets that range from ten yards to twenty five. You will be expected to hit center mass on at least one of five shots at each range. No shot should miss the target completely. When you are done, please take your weapon with you as you will be responsible for cleaning it once everyone has had their turn. You will not be taking them with you when you leave, as you don't have the authority to carry it yet. You will leave it in a locker assigned to you in the training room located inside. Mr. Lefebvre, you may begin."

Lefebvre took position at the middle firing station and picked up the weapon waiting for him. He aimed and fired at the first target, causing both Deeks and Phil to wince. Sheppard said nothing. When the man was done firing, Henderson went out and pulled down the used targets, replacing them with fresh ones as Sheppard replaced the used SIG with an unfired one. Bringing the used targets back, Henderson carefully marked each one with Lefebvre's name. One by one, each of the trainees took their turn, until only Phil and Deeks were left. The two looked at each other and Deeks shrugged, walking up to take his place.

He stood at the firing station and picked up the SIG, hefting it and noting the differences in weight between his own gun and this one. He automatically opened the chamber and inspected it. Satisfied, he snapped it shut. He then ejected the clip and inspected it, finding all 15 bullets present and accounted for. He slid it home and was about to take aim when Sheppard interrupted. "Mr. Deeks, can you explain why you felt it necessary to look over the gun that was provided to you?"

Deeks floundered, not sure if he was being brought to task for having the temerity to second guess whoever had provided the gun. "I always check out a new gun before I use it. I need to see what it weighs, I guess I feel a need to be sure everything is in its place." Sheppard smiled at him and turned to the rest of the class.

"Can anyone tell me why Mr. Deeks thought it would be a good idea to not shoot the gun immediately, as the rest of you did?" No one responded. "Whenever you handle a new gun, always make sure that you inspect it. If you have time, never assume that the person who gave it to you, even another agent or myself, made sure the gun was properly set. There may be occasions where you won't have the time and will have to trust that the gun given you is in the best shape possible. You may continue Mr. Deeks."

Deeks took aim and rapidly fired at the closest target. When he finished the requisite five shots, he moved to the one farther away and carefully sited along the barrel, taking his time and firing smoothly. He moved to the last, but furthest target, set himself and fired off the five shots. When done, he placed the gun down and waited. Henderson did his thing and Deeks moved out of the way for Phil to take his turn. When everything was ready, Phil followed the same procedure, checking the chamber and the magazine. He then fired at his three targets and put the gun down.

"Very well, that's the last of you. While Agent Henderson tallies the results, you will follow me into the cleaning room and will take apart your gun and clean it carefully. When you're done, let me know and I will inspect it. If I approve it, you will go back to the classroom and wait there. Agent Henderson and I will join you when everyone is done and will give you your results."

The group moved into the cleaning room, Deeks, Phil, Charlie and Amanda choosing a table where they could all sit together. Hesitantly, John Lefebvre approached their table which had one empty seat. He cleared his throat and asked. "Do you mind if I take this seat?"

Phil looked at him and grinned. "Sure, misery loves company!"

Deeks laughed. "I don't know, I find cleaning my gun very relaxing."

Phil rounded on him. "Are you serious? I mean, I understand the need, but its pure drudgery! You can't actually enjoy it?"

"Yeah, I kinda do. It's neat and it's methodical. You have to pay attention but you don't need to think about it, you know?"

"Oh please, tell me you aren't one of those neat freaks!" Deeks blushed a little. "Oh my god, you are!" Phil chortled. "You think you know a guy…" Deeks just punched him in the shoulder and then opened the cleaning kit they'd all been provided with. He frowned a little as it wasn't quite as extensive as he'd like. He looked around and found a cabinet located against the wall. Standing up he went to open it just as Sheppard came through the door.

"Looking for something Deeks?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, do you have any finer cleaning cloths than what's in the kit?"

"Ah, a man after my own heart. Sure, let me get you one." He pulled out his keys and opened the cabinet, reaching in and pulling out some thin cloths. "This what you're looking for?"

Deeks took them and ran his hands over the top one. Grinning he said "This will do just fine. Thanks Agent Sheppard."

"You're welcome. I'll be paying close attention to yours, need to make sure it was worth all the effort of opening this up for you." They both laughed and Deeks went back to his table while Sheppard began making the rounds, looking over people's shoulders, making some of them nervous.

Deeks methodically took apart the gun and began cleaning it, humming a little to himself. When he finished and put the gun back together, he looked up to find his table mates waiting on him. "You done already?" Phil asked sarcastically, having finished a while ago, as had everyone else. Deeks merely smiled and nodded. He watched while Sheppard walked around inspecting the guns the rest of the recruits had cleaned and reassembled. He had each one take it apart and start over, while giving words of encouragement. When he made Mark Roberts redo his, the man's face turned bright red with anger, although he kept himself in check as he started pulling the gun apart with more fervor than was strictly necessary.

Sheppard got to the table Deeks was sitting at last, as he'd been the last one to finish. He inspected Amanda's gun first. "Close, Ms. Cross but I'm going to have to ask you to do it again." Amanda just smiled and nodded. "Mr. Caldwell, may I?" He held out his hand for Charlie's gun. Turning it over several times, he shook his head. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to do the same." Charlie sighed and took the gun back. Lefebvre had already started taking his apart before Sheppard could even inspect it, causing the agent to smile. "Mr. Johnstone?" Phil handed him the gun. Sheppard turned it over several times, opened the chamber, closed it, ejected the clip, ran a finger over it, then shot it back it before he handed it back. "Good enough, although it could be slightly better." Phil grinned and nodded.

Turning to his last pupil, Sheppard held out his hand and Deeks put the gun in it. The agent turned it over and raised an eyebrow, opened the chamber and nodded his head, then ejected the magazine. Slapping it back in place, he handed it back. "Well, Mr. Deeks, I'd lie if I didn't say the gun looks cleaner than when we gave it to you. Congratulations." Deeks merely nodded and took the gun back. Roberts seethed in the background as he scrubbed the parts of his gun with more power than finesse. Phil noticed and worried. Sheppard continued. "You and Mr. Johnstone may go back to the classroom to wait for the rest of the class to join you." Both nodded and stood up, giving quiet words of encouragement to Charlie, Amanda and John.

On the way back to the classroom, Phil brought up Roberts. "You know he's going to be a problem, don't you?"

"I don't see what he can do to me. I just need to be on my toes and do my best. Let him wear himself down worrying about me instead of his own performance."

"Marty…I don't know. It really bothers me that he and Carrington seem to be together on this targeting of you."

"I appreciate that. Look, Agent Temple is aware of it and is planning on bringing it up to her superiors. Agent Sheppard figured it out pretty quickly when he was talking to me. I don't see either Carrington or Roberts being able to put one over on that man."

Feeling somewhat appeased, Phil turned the conversation to Charlie and Amanda, the two of them getting more and more silly on the topic of young love, although both were well into adulthood and not _all_ that much younger than the two of them. They both just felt decades older based on experience alone. Gradually, other students straggled into the room, most coming over to talk with them, asking quiet questions about war and law enforcement. Charlie and Amanda appeared, John tagging along. The five sat together and exchanged information on themselves. Roberts was one of the last to appear, the look on his face saying more than Deeks wanted to know. Somehow he was pretty sure he was to blame for the other man's poor performance, at least in Roberts's mind. Sheppard finally appeared and took his place at the front of the room.

"Most of you did very well. I understand that being under scrutiny and feeling like you needed to perform well your first time out, could negatively impact your results. Keep at it and your performance can only improve. The range is available to anyone who wants to put in extra practice time, just talk to one of us before you do so."

Agent Henderson entered the room and handed a sheet of paper to Sheppard, disappearing as silently as he'd appeared. Sheppard looked it over and nodded. "Ladies and gentleman, I have the results of your first round of target practice. Again, please remember that this is only the baseline and you will have plenty of opportunities to improve your score as the training continues. In first place, we have a tie between Mr. Johnstone and Mr. Deeks. Congratulations to both of you." A round of applause followed his words, while Roberts crossed his arms over his chest in frustration. "I won't read all the names, but will post it on the wall for you to review yourself, at your leisure. At this point, class is over for the day. I will expect to see you bright and early tomorrow morning when we will start your training in earnest." He turned and put the list on the corkboard, using a push pin.

The rest of the class surged up to get a look at where they stood, while Deeks and Phil stayed in their seats, waiting for their friends. They watched the pushing and shoving as each one tried to get close enough to find out where they fell. Amanda and Charlie found their names and headed back to them, smiles on their faces. John followed shortly after, having attached himself to the crew surrounding the two most experienced people in the class. Charlie smiled as he waited for Amanda to take a seat before sitting himself. "I took sixth place and Amanda took eighth. How'd you do John?"

"Third." He was obviously very proud of his results but didn't crow about it.

Deeks stood up and clapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you and congratulations to you and Mr. Johnstone."

"Marty and Phil, John. Is it okay if we call you John?"

"Of course!" John was happy he'd found some people he felt comfortable with and could hang out with. He wasn't the most extroverted and didn't make friends easily. He sat down as Deeks did the same.

Charlie leaned over to Deeks and Phil leaned in to hear what he had to say, the others doing the same but trying not to intrude on the core three. "Marty, Roberts came in twenty-fourth out of the twenty-five students. The guy in last place admitted he'd only fired a gun once before today. I heard Roberts muttering something about teacher's pets and bias. You really need to watch your back."

Deeks closed his eyes and offered up a 'why me' to the cosmos. Getting no answer, he opened his eyes and found three concerned and one confused pair of eyes looking at him. "Look, I don't know what I can do about either of them. Neither one has done anything to me directly. Yes, Roberts tried to trip me up on the stand but that was what he was supposed to do. Admittedly, he did it with a bit more…intensity…than strictly necessary but if we hadn't seen him talking to Carrington before class, none of us would have thought twice about it."

Phil responded. "Yeah, but we did see them and you know they're both gunning for you."

John hesitantly piped up. "Are you talking about Agent Carrington, the guy who ran the Orientation and gave Mr….Marty…a hard time?"

Phil and Charlie exchanged a look with Deeks and then Deeks nodded. "Yeah, he seems to have taken a dislike to me and we _think_ he enlisted Mark Roberts to help him wash me out, but we don't have any proof. It could just be a coincidence."

John swallowed hard and said. "I don't think it is."

"Why not?" Amanda asked.

"Look, I know I'm not the most outgoing and I tend to blend into the background." He sighed. "People tend to forget I'm there and talk in front of me." He sounded sad.

Deeks leaned forward and put a hand on his arm. "You know John, that trait can be a very useful trait in an agent, especially if you're working under cover."

The younger man brightened. "You think so?"

"I know so. There's this guy back in L.A. that I worked with. He was nothing to look at, tended to blend into the background so you never really noticed him. Yet, he had the highest conviction rate in the department and was one of our best undercover operatives. Now, what were you going to tell us?"

"Well, he was talking about you and saying that you didn't seem like the right kind of person to become an agent. He was…l don't know, I'm not a profiler."

Deeks nodded encouragingly. "Just tell us your observations."

"He seemed a little too adamant about someone he didn't know. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he isn't all that stable. I know everyone undergoes a psych eval before they can officially be admitted to the program, but I've read and heard about people who can pass, even when they have issues that should preclude them from being accepted." The group turned to look at Roberts, who was still standing in front of the list, his hands fisted at his side. They all felt a little worry at his words.

Finally, Deeks looked away and stood up. "Come on, let's head out for the day. There's nothing we can do except wait to see how everything plays out. Besides, I'm starving! We missed lunch." The rest nodded and stood up, silently following his lead as he headed out for the parking lot. Once outside in the clear air and sunshine, they felt a little better. Walking to their cars, Deeks looked at the man who appeared to be their newest member. "Hey John, we meet at the Starbucks down the street every day before class. Can you be there an hour before it starts?"

John blinked. "Really?" He said before he could stop himself. Mustering his confidence, he tried again. "I mean, sure, I can make it."

"Good. See you tomorrow?" Deeks asked.

"You bet!" The shy young man was practically beside himself at being included in what was rapidly approaching the cool kid's clique. The rest grinned and nodded. They all got into their cars and headed out. Feeling an itch between his shoulder blades, Deeks slowed so he could look behind him and was chilled to find Roberts standing in the middle of the parking lot, staring after him.

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	8. Chapter 8

A/N – Remember that google will only go so far in explaining to me exactly what training NCIS agents go through and that I've never even held a gun in my life. Any mistakes you can chalk up to creative license.

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Chapter 8

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Deeks drove home, one eye on the road, the other on his rear and side view mirrors. The sight of Roberts watching him drive away had awakened a paranoia in him. Sam and Callen's words about tradecraft tumbled through his head. He wasn't sure if he was imaging things or not, but there was no way he was going to take a chance on leading anyone to Kensi. He'd scoped out other ways to get to his small apartment shortly after he'd moved in. More with thoughts of finding surface roads to get home if the highway was backed up than thinking someone might be tailing him, but now he was glad he had. He slowed down and changed lanes. He sped up and changed lanes again, watching for anyone who followed. No one did. Still, he moved into the right lane at the last minute and took an exit two before he normally did, watching for anyone who followed. When he was the only one who exited, he relaxed. A little. Still keeping an eye on his mirrors, he took a roundabout way to his place, not letting his guard down for a minute.

When he took the right onto his street, he decided to go around the block once. When no cars appeared behind him, he pulled over three buildings up from his. Getting out, he looked around and didn't see a soul. He walked past his building to the one next door and then entered the alley on the side furthest from his. He hadn't even realized he'd mapped out a back way into the building and wondered if Sam and Callen would be proud of him. Walking through the connected parking lots, he finally reached the back entry to his building and let himself in. He turned and looked around one more time, seeing no one. Shaking himself a little, he sighed and made his way to the apartment where Monty eagerly awaited him. He gave the old dog a good rub and went into the kitchen. The sitter had left a note saying Monty had been walked just over an hour earlier.

"Sorry boy, no walk tonight. I'll make it up to you, promise." The dog seemed to understand, wagged his tail a couple times and went to his bed. Turning around three times, he finally settled and was asleep in no time. Deeks smiled but it was gone quickly. He felt a deep seated need to see Kensi. Maybe to get her input on this, maybe to tell him he was reading more into it than was really there. All he knew was that he had to bring her up to date on what was going on. After taking a quick shower, he headed out, exiting through the back entrance again. He went up the same alley and walked to his car, nonchalantly checking out the area. The only ones in sight were a young couple with a baby stroller and a dog on a leash. He got into the car and pulled away, watching behind him. When he reached the hospital without catching anyone tailing him, he started to feel a little silly. Still, it had bothered him enough that he would follow through and get Kensi's opinion.

He entered the hospital and bypassed the registration desk, the man behind it being somewhat surly and uncommunicative. He reached her room without running into anyone, although he did wave at one of the nurses seated at the nurse's station. She waved back but made no effort to get up to talk to him. Grateful, he knocked quietly on the door and opened it when Kensi called out. She'd told him he didn't need to knock, but he always wanted to give her the chance to tell him to stay out if one of the nurses was in helping her with something…personal.

Entering her room, he was happy to see her looking so pleased. "What's up Kensalina? You're looking like the cat that ate the canary." He walked to the bed and kissed her. When he went to pull away, she put her hands behind his neck and pulled him back, deepening the kiss. When they both came up for air, he huffed out a laugh. "Miss me?" He asked and instantly knew it was the wrong thing to say when the smile left her face. Damn it, this thing was still raw between them, even though several months had now passed. He reached up and touched the side of her face. "Kens, don't."

"How can I not?" She asked, not pretending to misunderstand. "I drove you away and then missed you so much when you were gone. And then there was the fact that we almost lost you forever out in that storm! I could have spent the rest of my life missing you, knowing you'd died thinking I hated you!"

He stiffened. He'd never told her about the boat trip and what had happened out there. He figured they had enough to get past without bringing that in. "Who…"

"Sam and Callen."

"They had no right!" He said angrily, although he wasn't really sure what he was angry about.

She put her hand over his. "Deeks, yes they did. They're our friends and they were so angry with me for what I did. They thought I needed to know what price my words almost made you pay!"

He sighed, deflating a little. "I didn't want you to know how stupid we were. Reuben and I both know better than to get passed out drunk on the open seas. It was foolish and almost cost us both our lives."

"It _was_ foolish but you didn't die and you're here. That's something I will be grateful for to the end of my days. We have a second chance and I mean to make the most of it." She brightened. "And speaking of making the most of things, I walked almost half length of the therapy room with the walker today! By myself!" She looked so proud of herself, his heart swelled in his chest and he almost decided not to bring up Roberts, but then he reminded himself, no more lies, even by omission.

"Baby, that's great! This new doctor is really making a difference."

"She really is, I feel so comfortable with her. I really trust her. I'm so glad we came here Deeks, not just for the therapy but because you're going to be an agent when this is all said and done." She caught the fleeting expression that passed over his face. "Deeks, what's wrong? Is Carrington still causing you issues? I can track him down you know, I don't need my legs to use a sniper rifle." She joked. He just raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, so that's not an option. Talk to me! Tell me what's wrong."

He pulled a chair up beside her bed and took her hand in his. "It's probably nothing, but I think Carrington sicced someone on me that isn't…quite…right."

"Everyone goes through a psych eval before being admitted to the program. What do you mean by not quite right?"

He proceeded to tell her about what happened that day and what Charlie had said, how Phil was worried. He added that they'd increased their group by two, telling her about Amanda and John and what John had overheard. He made her laugh a little when he went all gooey eyed describing the way Amanda looked at Charlie. When he mentioned Agent Sheppard and his opinion of the man, some of her tension drained away.

"He sounds like a good guy to have on your side. Seems like your fan club is growing every day!" She smirked at him and then felt her heart swell as she watched the blush creep up his cheeks. This man, for all his cockiness, always seemed surprised when he gathered people into his orbit. Something that made her love him all the more.

He cleared his throat and said. "Yeah, I really like him and I think he's sharp, plus, he doesn't seem to have much use for Carrington."

She snorted. She'd never met the man but despised him already. "Look, Deeks I know you don't want to but…"

He lifted a hand to stop her. "I know and I hate to admit it, but I'm worried enough to think that maybe we could use some help. We're not supposed to face time with the wonder twins until the day after tomorrow, but I'm thinking maybe tonight? We can ask them to keep it on the down low."

Kensi was already reaching for her phone. She sent a text to Nell asking if they could move up their scheduled check in. She wasn't surprised when her friend texted back in the affirmative almost immediately. Deeks maneuvered his chair so that he was facing the same direction as Kensi while she opened the app on her tablet and sent a request to Nell. She responded right away and her pixie face filled the screen. "Hey Kensi! Hey Shaggy! It's so good to see you guys. What's up that you wanted to talk earlier than we'd agreed?" Deeks had to smile, he should have known that she'd figure out that something was up. He also wasn't surprised to see Eric's face join hers in the small screen. The two were rarely apart.

He was the one who answered. "Good to see you too Velma, Eric. What's up? How are things in sunny L.A.?" He didn't want to get into the fact that he was in trouble once again, at least not right away.

Eric grinned at him. "Surf's going off! You're missing out on some of the best waves I've seen in a long time. The guys have been asking about you."

"Tell everyone I said hi. We'll be back soon enough."

"Good, we miss you guys."

"We miss you too."

Kensi asked. "How are Sam and Callen doing? Keeping out of trouble?" She'd figured out Deeks didn't want to get right into his problem when he'd started asking about things in L.A.

Nell laughed. "I don't know if you can call it that. Granger has tried pairing them both with other teams but they don't seem to want to play nice, especially if Callen's not lead agent like he is on your team. Granger and Hetty seem to be having more spats, kinda like when he first started here." Her face sobered. "It's just not the same without the two of you here. Everything is more…tense."

Kensi responded. "I'm sorry but it's been good for me to be here. I'm getting better every day! I've graduated to using a walker now and almost made it across the room all by myself today." Her words brought Deeks back to that moment in the therapy room in California almost two months ago. The frustration and despair on her face as she dragged herself through the parallel bars, her legs not obeying her commands. No matter what happened, coming here was the best thing they could've done. He tuned back into the conversation.

Nell grinned at her. "Kens, that's awesome news! You'll be up and walking on your own before you know it!"

"I'm starting to let myself hope for that as well. Dr. Flanders is cautiously optimistic that I'll regain full use of both my legs!" She sobered. "But she's also very upfront that this isn't going to happen overnight. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but at least now I'm seeing some progress."

They continued to chat, Nell watching both their faces as carefully as she could, given the small screen. She just knew something was up. Kensi had been the one to insist that they stick to a schedule for when they talked, so if she wanted to talk early, something was going on and it wasn't good or she would have told them the reason right away. Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore and when there was a lull in the conversation, she asked. "Okay, you still haven't told us why you moved up our call. What's wrong?"

Kensi and Deeks looked at each other and Deeks nodded, then cleared his throat. "Um, Kensi's rehabilitation isn't the only reason we're in Georgia. I'm in week two of the NCIS agent training program."

He was pretty sure that the squeals coming through the speaker on Kensi's phone broke the sound barrier. Finally, Nell was coherent enough to say. "I knew it! I knew something else was up when you moved across the country!"

He put his hand to his ear and then held up his hand in front of his eyes, turning it left and right, inspecting it carefully. "What are you doing Shaggy?" Nell sounded aggravated.

"Just checking to see if my ears are bleeding. I've heard that happens when your eardrums rupture."

"Very funny!" Nell grinned at him, her excitement about the fact that he was in agent training, all over her face. "How's it going?" At the look on his face, her excitement waned. "What's wrong Marty?"

He sighed. When she called him by his first name, he knew she'd figured out whatever was going on was bothering him. "I seem to have caught the eye of one of the agents here, and not in a good way. He's made the decision that I'm not respectable enough to become an agent and I know he's involved at least one of my other instructors and we think one of the other trainees. It's the trainee I'm most worried about. He's aggressive and some of my fellow students are concerned about his stability."

"You want us to look into both of them, right?" Eric asked.

"Would you mind? And please? Don't tell anyone else about why I'm here or what's going on. The last thing I need is for the team of Sam and Callen to descend on Glynco, especially if the posse of Hetty and Granger are right on their heels."

Eric frowned. "Why did you keep what you're doing a secret? You know we would help you in any way we could."

Nell saw the stubborn look on Deeks's face and had to smile. "Eric, I think that's exactly why he didn't tell us. You want to do this on your own, don't you Shaggy?"

"You always were the smart one Velma. Yeah, I just felt like I needed to do this on my own merits, not because of who I know or how hard Sam and Callen dragged me through classes. When we come back home, I'll either be an agent or not, all on my own."

Nell looked hard at him. "I can understand that, but can't you understand that everyone needs a little help now and again?"

"Yes, and that's exactly why we called you." He launched into the things that had happened between the two classes, Cora Temple's warning and the feelings of his fellow trainees who were rapidly becoming good friends. When he was done, he looked at the two faces staring solemnly back at him from the small screen. "So, what do you guys think? Am I overreacting?"

Both shook their heads at the same time. "No and even if you are, what does it hurt to look into them?" Eric asked. "Give me their names."

"Mark Roberts is the trainee. Don't know much about him but he should be in the NCIS database with the rest of the trainees, right?"

"He should be." Eric confirmed. "I don't _exactly_ have direct access to those files, but I'm sure I can finesse something."

"Hey, whatever you do, you do _not_ get into trouble over this." When he got no response back, Deeks said asked. "Do you hear me? Both of you!"

Eric looked affronted. "When have I ever been caught?"

"I have two words for you. Las Vegas."

"I should never have told any of you that I was banned there."

"Nope, and we'll hold that over you for the rest of your life." Kensi added her two cents. There was a moment of silence and then they all started to laugh.

When the laughter died down, Nell asked. "What's the name of the agent?"

"Agent Neal Carrington." He saw the look that passed over her face and frowned. "Nell, you know this guy, don't you?"

"Not well and I hope to keep it that way. When I was there for field agent training, he was also there. He didn't hold back his opinion that I wasn't cut out to be an agent. First because I'm a woman, second because I'm…vertically challenged and third because I was coming from operations. Basically told me I should be a good little girl and stick to what I knew. What I knew was that I wanted to apply my weapons training to him right there and then. Still, he never took it any further than that and I have to say, it wasn't the last time I got that kind of sentiment there, at least from some of the older male agents."

Deeks was pissed. "Who else?" His voice was low and angry.

Nell grinned at him. "Thanks Shaggy, but I can fight my own fights. I showed them all by acing all my classes. I think you need to do the same with Carrington. You know what they say, success is the best revenge."

"I'll keep that in mind. So far, so good. Got high marks in my testimony class and tied for first place in our first round of weapons training."

"That's great Deeks!" Eric said. "You know, this could be fun!"

"What?"

"Knowing that you're in agent training and knowing no one else knows. Very cloak and dagger."

"Well, Hetty and Granger know. They got me to sign the paperwork. Vance, of course. He had to waive the age maximum for me. Other than that, yeah, only you two know."

Eric rubbed his hands together. Deeks could already see the wheels turning in his head and sighed. His friend was loyal to a fault, smart as all get out, but not very good at keeping secrets. "Eric, please. Don't do anything that will let the cat out of the bag."

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you." Despite the tenor of the conversation, both men smiled at each other. They continued to talk about other things, circling back around to Kensi's progress and the wonder twins regaling them with tales of the trouble the rest of their team was getting into without them there. When it finally came time to disconnect, they promised to dig into both men and let them know as soon as they found anything.

When the tablet went dark, it seemed a little quiet in the small room. Deeks took it from her hand and put it on the table. He leaned over and put his forehead against hers. "This is all going to work out. I know it is. You're going to walk again, I'm going to get my badge and we'll both be back on the team in OSP before you know it." He whispered.

She lifted a hand to his chin and raised his head. Looking into his eyes, she said. "I hope so, but know this. No matter what happens. If I don't get to walk again, if you don't make agent. No matter what, I'll never leave your side again." She touched her lips to his to seal the promise.

~,~,~,~

Deeks walked into the Starbucks, his eyes immediately going to 'their' table and saw that Phil and John were there but that he'd beaten Amanda and Charlie. He had to smile, wondering if the two would walk in together. He turned to place his order only to have it handed to him by the barista. "Thanks Claire." He took it and swigged his first sip, closing his eyes with pleasure. He opened them to find her smirking at him. "Nothing like that first sip of the day."

"I wouldn't know. I hate coffee."

His jaw dropped open and he just stared at her until she started to laugh. Snapping his mouth shut, he grinned at her. "Isn't that grounds for termination?"

"I didn't say I hated everything we sell. Now, give me a hot chocolate and I'll follow you anywhere."

"Well, that's, um, interesting."

"Don't worry Marty." She leaned over the counter a little and he leaned forward. "You aren't my type. Besides, I'm already taken."

He looked at her and blushed, hating that she'd seen through him so easily. "Good to know. So, how long have the two of you been together?"

"Three years. I met her right here at this store. We're talking about getting married in the next couple of years."

"That's great! I wish you both the best of luck."

"Thanks." She smiled at the sincerity in his voice. He handed over his money, left a good tip and wandered over to the table. Both men looked up and grinned at him as he sat down, his back to the wall, facing the door. Something else he just realized he'd been trained to do without thinking about it.

"What?" He asked.

"Were you just flirting with the barista? Do I have to use my newly honed secret agent skills to find Kensi and fill her in?" Phil joked.

"No, you don't. It so happens that I was under the mistaken impression she was flirting with me. She disabused me of that right away." Deeks took another swig of coffee and sighed. If it weren't for Carrington and Roberts, he would be very content right now. "So, what are you guys up to?"

"We've been discussing some ideas on how Sheppard is going to throw wind and rain at us at the firing range and what kind of other weapons we're going to get to use."

Kensi had filled him in a little on what to expect from her own training days and Deeks grinned, deciding to keep it to himself and let his friends enjoy finding out on their own. The door to the shop opened before he could say anything and their missing two trainees came through together. Deeks snorted a bit and nodded his head over at them. Phil and John turned to watch them as they made their way to the counter, put in their orders and paid. Neither one had even looked their way, only having eyes for each other. When they finally turned towards the table and found three sets of eyes on them, both went a bright shade of red and moved away from each other. When they reached the table, Deeks moved over one to leave two chairs together. The couple sat in them without anyone saying a word although Amanda smiled her thanks at him.

"So, we were just talking about what to expect in today's class. You guys have any ideas?" Phil asked. The group started coming up with suggestions, each one trying to top the last one with its outrageousness until the group was gasping with laughter.

John looked at each of them as they laughed and talked. Every one of them was different, had their own strengths and weaknesses and he actually felt like he fit in. Something he didn't feel very often. These people were becoming his friends and he had a feeling that would last the rest of his career, if not his life. He looked at his watch and was startled at the time. "Uh, guys, we need to get a move on or we're gonna be late." They all looked at their watches and eyes widened around the table. As one they all pushed back, grabbed their trash and hurried out the door. Without speaking, they went their separate ways to their own cars, Deeks watching out of the corner of his eye to see if Amanda and Charlie got into one or two. He quirked an eyebrow when they got into their own cars although they were parked side by side.

They all arrived at the center at the same time, tumbling out of their cars and moving in a pack towards the firing range where Sheppard had told them to meet that morning. They got there with two minutes to spare, high fives all around. Talking and laughing, they split up to go to their assigned lockers to get the weapons that were theirs for the class, everyone else already out on the firing range. Deeks stopped at his and reached out to enter the combination when something made him stop. Frowning, he leaned in to get a closer look and almost jumped out of his skin when someone spoke next to his ear.

"Something interesting about that lock, Deeks?" He turned to find Lucas Sheppard smiling at him inquisitively.

"I'm not sure. It's just…something seems off." He turned and peered a little closer, finding fine markings on the mechanism that looked like someone had tried to pick the lock. He wondered if they'd succeeded or if he was just imagining things. He stepped back a little and turned to the instructor. "Take a look, what do you see around the lock?"

Sheppard frowned and leaned over, looking carefully. What he found, concerned him. Looking back at Deeks, he said. "It looks like someone either tried to pick or jimmy the lock."

"I don't think this was like that when I was assigned that locker."

"I know it wasn't! I run a tight ship around here and I know those were _not_ there yesterday."

Deeks shivered, wondering what the hell this meant. He looked at Sheppard, who looked back, then both men looked at the locker. "You think its booby trapped?" Deeks asked quietly. He looked around to see if any of his friends were paying attention to them, finding they were and that all eyes were on him and Sheppard. He smiled and mouthed 'I'll meet you out there' and they reluctantly left, Phil looking back over his shoulder.

Once they were alone, Sheppard responded just as quietly. "I have no idea. Look, I'll have someone check into it while we're out on the firing range. I don't want to take any chances so I'll get you a new weapon until we figure this out." He paused. "Deeks, I'd prefer that you not mention this to anyone until we can figure out if it's a problem or not."

"Absolutely." The last thing he wanted was to have everyone looking at him weirdly.

"If someone did come in and attempt to get into your locker, I doubt they know we have this room monitored 24/7. A few years ago, we had some issues with trainees coming back after hours to play with their guns. When a gun went missing and everyone claimed they had no idea what happened, we installed cameras to keep an eye on things. I'll have someone pull the footage from last night to see if anything shows up. If it does, we should be able to figure out if it's safe to open it or not. I'd rather not call in anyone until we know we need them."

"Thanks." Deeks wasn't sure how to proceed. "Look, Sheppard, I'm sorry about all this. This is not the way I wanted my training to go. I just wanted to come here, keep my head down and pass my classes. Somehow, these things always seem to happen to me."

"It's not your fault. From everything you've told me, you never went out of your way to instigate any of this. I talked with Cora last night and she had nothing but good things to say about you."

"You talked with Cora about me?"

"Yes, is that an issue?"

"No! No, not at all. Just kind of think it's funny that I talked about you with someone last night as well."

"Would that someone be Kensi?" Sheppard asked.

Deeks laughed. "You have a good memory. Yeah, I told her what was going on here and about you and Cora. She was relieved to find out I had someone to watch my six while she's laid up."

Sheppard narrowed his eyes at the 'trainee' in front of him. The way he spoke of the other NCIS agent, even if she was his girlfriend, smacked of more than just a personal relationship. Not one to keep things to himself, he said. "That sounds like the kind of words you'd use for a partner and I don't mean life partner."

Realizing he'd made a mistake and not wanting to alienate the man he had already come to like and respect, Deeks nodded. "Yeah, she's my work partner as well. I work…worked…as the liaison between LAPD and NCIS for years. Look, can you keep that quiet? I'm not looking for any special treatment. I'm just here to take my classes and work hard to get my badge."

Sheppard nodded, pleased with what he'd heard. He'd had plenty of other students come through who had someone already at NCIS. A brother, father, sister, whatever, and most of them expected to sail through all their classes with little to no effort on their part, secure in their expectation of legacy treatment. They always left his course sorrier and wiser.

"So, how did an LA cop and an NCIS agent become partners and more?"

Deeks had his mouth open to tell Sheppard all about his Kensi, when the door opened and Henderson stuck his head in. Sheppard nodded and turned back to Deeks. "We need to go. Let's talk after class, I'd like to hear more about your Kensi."

Deeks grinned and nodded. "Does he ever speak?"

"What? Who?" Sheppard was confused by the change in direction the conversation had just taken.

"Henderson."

"Oh!" He laughed. "Only when he has something to say. Then, you can't shut him up." Deeks looked at him in disbelief and he laughed harder. "Yeah, okay, so he's a quiet one. But trust me, he's someone you'd want on your side. Come on, I'll sign you out a new gun." They left together and Sheppard filled out the paperwork on the new gun, handing it to Deeks who automatically opened it and went through his regular routine, much to the delight of the man watching him.

On the way out, Sheppard stopped at the office and stuck his head in while Deeks waited a discreet distance away. "Chris?"

The man sitting at the desk looked up and smiled. "What's up Gunny?"

"We might have a problem. Can you pull the footage of the gun locker room from last night and review it? We're looking for anyone who might have entered after hours and tampered with locker 47."

Chris frowned. "What do you suspect?"

"Not sure, could be nothing. The trainee assigned to the locker found scratch marks on the lock and showed them to me. I know they weren't there last night. I want you to see if you can find out who and what they might have done. If you can't find anything, can you use the skeleton key to open it and inspect the weapon inside? We left the locker untouched."

"Um, sure." He looked anything but.

"Thanks." Sheppard turned away and then back. "Look, Chris, if you open the locker, be careful, okay? There's always the possibility it could be booby trapped."

"What?"

"You heard me." Sheppard thought for a moment, changing his mind about not calling in anyone. "You know what? Just to be safe, put a call into Bruno."

"You want me to call in a _bomb_ expert? What the hell is going on?"

"Just humor an old man, will you?"

Chris snorted. "Old man, right! You can still wipe the floor with most of us here."

"Most?" Sheppard asked in response and then waved a goodbye as he said on his way out the door. "Just…watch yourself, okay?"

He heard Chris respond with a "Sure thing gunny." as he walked away to join Deeks.

When they exited to the firing range, they found all eyes on them. Deeks's friends looked worried, most of the others were just curious at the delay. Roberts, however, was watching him through narrowed eyes. Their eyes met and the eyes narrowed more. Deeks was starting to think the man was nothing but a cliché and wondered if he practiced various looks in the mirror. The image of the man making threatening faces in the mirror, made him chuckle and Roberts took a step towards him. Phil had been watching and stepped into his path.

"Got a problem?" He asked.

Roberts stepped back and replied. "No and I'm not sure why you found it necessary to get in my way! I just wanted to ask Agent Sheppard about the weapons we'll be training on today."

"I'm sure he'll be telling all of us about them." Phil responded and stayed where he was.

Roberts exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders and stepped back. Phil noticed that there seemed to be a space around the man that no one intruded on. He looked back at Deeks, to find him now in the center of a group of people, his friends closest to him, protectively, and he went to join them. "What's up Marty?" He asked quietly. The rest waited to hear the answer, worried.

"I'll tell you guys later, hopefully it's nothing."

Phil snorted and Deeks tried to give him a 'Hey, it really is nothing' smile and failed miserably. "Have it your way. For now." He put a hand on Deeks's shoulder and squeezed. The responding smile was more natural and eased some of the tension within the group. They turned to pay attention to Sheppard who was beginning the class.

"Today, you're going to start training on how to shoot your weapon accurately in less than ideal conditions. Shooting at a stationary target in nice calm weather is all well and good, but shooting at a moving target in rain, wind or snow, is entirely different. You need to account for wind speed and direction, even barometric pressure. You won't need to do complicated math unless you plan on becoming a long range sniper, which is another class all together. For this class, we will be teaching you to be aware of your surroundings and the weather around you. How to read the signs and make appropriate adjustments. I know several of you have training, but I ask that you pay attention anyway." He looked at Phil and Deeks who both nodded solemnly.

Sheppard began the training on how to read the wind flag currently barely fluttering in the light breeze. He wasn't surprised at the look of confusion on some of the faces as he began to explain the math behind making adjustments to bullet trajectory to account for whatever weather they were experiencing. When he thought everyone finally had it, he selected five people to go first and, as they took their positions at the firing points, a chill wind picked up, even though the day appeared bright and sunny. He didn't answer the silent questions thrown his way, instead raised his hand and lowered it, giving the command to start shooting. What they didn't know was that it was also the command to those manning the wind machines to start varying the wind direction and speed, adding in sporadic rain.

This first group consisted of those who had been in the middle of the pack on the baseline shots from the day before. Most failed to even hit the target on their first shots, but began to steadily improve. When they'd gone through their allotted time, he had the next group take their place as Henderson and a helper once again cleared the backstops of their paper figures. This time he selected some of the better shooters. Charlie and Amanda were among this group and both had listened carefully to the instructions and had watched the first group, hoping to learn from their mistakes. They, along with the rest of the group, had about the same luck as the first, their performance also improving as they got used to the conditions.

The next group was a calculated risk on Sheppard's part as it consisted of Deeks, Johnstone, Lefebvre, a quiet trainee by the name of Sofia Jimenez and Mark Roberts. He wanted to see how Roberts behaved when having to go up against a man he obviously felt enmity for. The ability to work with others towards a common goal, putting aside personal feelings, was a must. If Roberts executed as badly as he had the day before and initiated any kind of confrontation with Deeks, he would use that to boot the man out of the program so fast he wouldn't know what hit him. He found himself actually hoping to get the opportunity. Something about the man grated on him.

The five took their places and Sheppard smiled to see Johnstone crowd out Roberts for one of the spots next to Deeks. When the man turned to the other side, it was to find Lefebvre already firmly ensconced there. The angry look on his face made Sheppard wonder if he'd just made a mistake, but it was too late now. He gave the command to fire and wasn't surprised to watch Deeks and Johnstone firing carefully and methodically, constantly monitoring the wind flag and making adjustments. For his part, Deeks was again reminded of Prague and the seemingly constant and never ending downpour of rain. He found himself wondering how a kid from Reseda California, had ended up in a foreign land, on an unsanctioned rescue mission of a tiny woman who had gone there to end a blood feud. He smiled a little until the memory of breaking into that house, and the resulting gunfight, intruded. He shook it off and turned his full attention back to his targets. Next to him, John was a little off but doing well, as was Jimenez. At the far end, however, Roberts was all over the place, shooting at the targets, paying more attention to Deeks, than to the wind and rain, barely looking over at the flag. Sheppard shook his head and kept his tongue. He'd given his instructions and now it was up to the trainees.

When they were done, all lowered their weapons and stepped back from their positions, allowing the next to last group to take their place. While this group was going through their exercise, Chris walked out of the building, a frown on his face. When he got to Sheppard, he leaned forward and spoke quietly in his ear. A frown appeared on his face too and both men turned to look at Deeks, who'd been watching apprehensively, his friends picking up on it. The group watched the instructor head their way.

"Deeks, when we break for lunch, can you please report to the office?"

"Uh, sure Agent Sheppard."

Deeks turned to find Roberts watching him with a frown on his face and he shivered. When the last group finished, they all trooped back into the cleaning room and began the ritual of cleaning their guns. While they were working, Henderson came in like he had yesterday and handed Sheppard a list which he reviewed and then stuck on the board, next to the prior day's results. Deeks had to smile as he watched the other trainees spend more time looking at the list with apprehension, than they did with the task in front of them. He worked quietly, humming under his breath until Phil hit him and mouthed 'shut up' at him. Unlike the day before, fully half the class was not required to start again. Roberts had apparently hadn't gotten the message as he didn't pass the first inspection. If looks could kill, Sheppard would be lying on the floor.

When everyone at his table passed inspection on the first try, they all got up and raced to the results.

"Ha! I just took over first place!" Phil crowed, puffing up his chest. He'd beat the rest of his friends to their objective.

"By a small margin and it's not over yet my friend." Deeks replied as he too found his name on the list. He turned to the others as they found their own names. "Well?"

Charlie smiled. "I moved up one to fifth."

Amanda frowned. "I dropped to eleventh."

Charlie reached out and patted her shoulder. "That's not all that bad."

"I suppose, but it's not the direction I wanted to go."

"You'll have more chances to improve." Amanda smiled at the words of encouragement and the others felt like the two were no longer aware of their presence. It was a feeling Deeks knew well and he smiled at the two with fondness.

"John?" Phil asked.

"Status quo. Stayed in third."

"Way to go my man!" Phil high fived him and John blushed.

Deeks turned back to the list and ran his finger down the names, finding Roberts in dead last and sighed. The others looked over his shoulder to see what he was looking at and echoed his sigh. Roberts hadn't seen his spot on the list yet and the group made sure to move as far away as possible. They all kept an eye on him when he finally had his gun cleaned to Sheppard's satisfaction and approached the list on the wall. He appeared stunned and Deeks wondered if it was because his score hadn't taken an expected downturn. Once again, hands curled into fists and then he reached out and ripped the paper off the wall, tearing it into shreds.

"Not sure what good he thinks that will do, it's not like our marks aren't already recorded somewhere." Amanda said quietly. When Roberts turned and caught their eyes on him, his lip curled and she took a step back into Charlie. "Jeez."

"Let's go grab some lunch." Charlie said, tugging her away.

"You guys go and I'll catch up. I need to stop in the office." Deeks said.

"Oh yeah, almost forgot about that. I'll wait for you." Phil said.

"There's no need…." Deeks started, only to be interrupted.

"Listen, we're not letting you go anywhere alone. I don't trust that guy." Phil said and the others nodded.

Knowing he should insist but feeling pleased that his friends wanted to protect him, he merely nodded and started to make his way to the office where Sheppard would be waiting for him, the others trailing behind him. When he got to the door, he knocked once and was immediately bade to enter. Opening it, he found Sheppard, Henderson and another man waiting for him. He turned to find the others right on his heels. "I think I'll be okay in there with them, hmmm?"

Phil looked through the doorway, noting Sheppard's presence and relaxed. "Fine. We'll be waiting out here. Don't be too long, I'm starving."

"You could always go get something to eat now." The look the rest of them sent his way made his lips quirk up. "Fine." He echoed Phil. "Hopefully, this won't take very long."

Phil just crossed his arms over his chest and Charlie followed suit, reminding Deeks of the first day they'd met him. When Amanda and John did so as well, he had a hard time not laughing at them. He knew this had the potential to not be funny, but still. He turned and went through the door, closing it quietly behind him.

"I'm here as you asked, Agent Sheppard."

Sheppard sighed. This was not supposed to happen. This was a training facility and there weren't enemy combatants on the grounds. Until now. "Deeks, I had Chris pull the security footage from last night." He stopped.

"And."

"And, there's a ten minute gap from 12:54 to 1:04 this morning. Other than that, there's no footage of anyone entering the gun locker room."

"So, now we know what time our perp tried to get into my locker." Deeks replied, falling back on cop talk.

"Not tried." Chris responded. He stood up and held out his hand to Deeks. "Chris Myer, Mr. Deeks, the firing range manager."

"Deeks or Marty." He responded automatically as he took the man's hand and shook it. "What do you mean, not tried."

"Your locker _was_ broken into during that gap in the footage."

"And? Tell me it wasn't booby trapped? You guys didn't take any chances, right?"

Chris smiled, appreciative of the fact that Deeks's was more worried that someone might have gotten hurt, rather than what the 'perp' had done. "No, no booby trap and no, we didn't take any chances. We had an expert check it out first before we opened it." He hated the fact that they had even had to worry about something like that and was relieved it had been for nothing.

"Good, that's good. So, how do you know that someone did get into my locker?"

Sheppard took up the narrative. "We checked out your original weapon and it was tampered with."

"Tampered with? How?" Wondering if he'd been in danger of losing some fingers, or worse.

Seeing the expression on Deeks's face, Sheppard was quick to reassure him. "Nothing major, just that the barrel was filed down enough that your aim would be off and you probably wouldn't have known why."

"So, this was just someone trying to bring my score down?"

"Your score would have tanked." Henderson said quietly.

Deeks was surprised at the sound of the man's voice, low and melodious. He blinked and then asked. "Yeah, but knowing what it was yesterday, wouldn't this person know that we'd check for defects?"

Sheppard nodded. "I'm not sure whoever did this, is really thinking things through."

"Roberts?"

"We can't prove it. All we can do is keep an eye on him."

Chris added. "We're also going to see if we can find out how and who managed to turn off our surveillance system. That's a defect we're going to have to deal with regardless. It's also concerning that whoever it was, even knew it was in place. It's a pretty carefully guarded secret from the trainees."

"How about the rest of the instructors?" He had to ask.

Chris shrugged, not offended as he'd been filled in on the whole situation. "Some of them do, some don't. The ones that do, know not to tell the trainees."

Sheppard and Deeks exchanged a look, both knowing the other was wondering if Carrington could have passed that little tidbit of information on to Roberts. Deeks bit his lip and wondered if he should offer the wonder twins help, then decided it wasn't worth the explanations. "So, we just wait and see if anything else happens?"

"That's about all we can do without proof. We also don't want it to get out about the cameras. Whoever it is, isn't going to go around bragging and the less people who find out about it, the better." Chris replied.

"What do I tell my friends? They're going to ask why I was called in here."

"Just that someone tried to break into your locker and wasn't successful. Let them know we're concerned and watching your back, same as them." Sheppard replied.

Deeks frowned. He knew they wouldn't let it go and he didn't like lying to them. He'd had enough of that.

"Look, Deeks, I know you don't want to lie to your friends, but this is important."

"I get it, I do, but I think they at least deserve to know that my gun was tampered with. If I tell them we don't know who did it, they won't think to ask if there are cameras in the gun locker room." Omissions his brain screamed at him. Sheppard looked at Myer and nodded.

"We can live with that. Thank you." Chris held out his hand and Deeks shook it again. "We'll let you know if we find out anything else."

"I appreciate that. I'm sorry this is happening."

"So are we. We've had rivalries crop up between trainees before, but never to the extent of actually sabotaging another's weapon. That's dangerous and not the behavior of someone we want to join this agency."

Sheppard said. "That's about all we have Deeks, if you'd like to join your friends for lunch? Come back rested, this afternoon we're using semi-automatic rifles and you'll need to be on your toes."

"HK416's? AK-47's?" Deeks asked with enthusiasm, his attention turning to something he could handle.

"Well, yeah, both." Sheppard smiled.

"Well, alright. I'll see you after lunch." With a wave, he opened the door and walked right into Phil, who was standing closer than he really needed to. "Phil? Really?"

"Just watching your six Deeks."

He had to laugh. "Thanks! Come on, let's go get lunch." While they walked to the commissary, the whole group bombarded them with questions and he answered truthfully without mentioning the cameras and no one asked. He knew he could trust them, but if anything else happened, then there would be no way anyone could point fingers at others who knew about them.

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	9. Chapter 9

A/N – Sorry for the long delay in getting this out. We lost two people from our department in less than a month and we're a small group to start with, so work has been crazy. I also ran into a bit of writer's block, for a few reasons. This chapter is a bit shorter than the last few, but longer than the first few...kinda middling size I guess. Hope the chapter itself isn't middling quality. Honus47 says this one is good to go and she hasn't let me down yet!

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Chapter 9

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After lunch, the group was back at the firing range with the rest of the trainees. When Sheppard brought up the kinds of guns they'd be training with, some were excited, some apprehensive. He explained the properties and characteristics of each gun, starting with the HK416. Warning them about how powerful they were and demonstrating the correct way to handle them. Explaining the difference in firing modes between semi-automatic, two-round burst, and fully-automatic. He then had the trainees come up one by one. These weapons could be extremely hazardous in untrained hands and he took no chances. This time he had Roberts come up first. Deeks and Johnstone would be last as they were both familiar with the weapons and he didn't want them making it look easier than it was.

Roberts confidently took the weapon and aimed it at the targets that had been set up while they'd been away. He pressed the trigger and staggered backwards with the recoil, his finger locked on the trigger as the weapon sprayed bullets wildly into the back stops until Sheppard leapt forward and grabbed the gun from the man. "You need to listen, Mr. Roberts. It was given to you in fully-automatic mode. You never once checked to see what the settings were before using it. This is a very dangerous weapon and you need to be careful and proficient if you expect to be a field agent. As I've said before, never assume anything about a weapon someone else gives you." He turned and addressed his next remarks to the rest of the class. "Few agents will ever be in a position where they will actually be required to use one but you have to know how to handle it should the need ever arise." Turning back to Roberts, he set the mode to two-round burst. "Now, try again." He said as he handed it back.

Roberts's face was bright red with embarrassment and anger. His eyes caught Deeks's and anger flared brighter in them. Deeks broke the contact by turning to talk to John about something inconsequential. He listened with one ear as Sheppard had to constantly correct the other trainee. He started to worry that Roberts would shift his focus to the older man or maybe split it between the two of them. This was just getting better and better. When Roberts was finally done and had actually hit the targets a couple times, Sheppard had the rest of the class come up one by one until only Phil and Deeks were left. As they had experience and it was getting late, he had both of them come up together.

He watched as each man reviewed his weapon, looking down the site, checking the firing mode, ejecting the magazine and, after inspecting it, slapping it back in place. Both raised their weapons, settled them into place with practiced ease and began to shoot at the targets. At one point they were practically synchronized and Sheppard had to smile. The two finished methodically and with a minimum of wasted time or effort. Putting his spent weapon down, Deeks wondered if Sam or Callen would be surprised that he had it in him to not wisecrack during the exercise. He smiled, it had been tough to resist but he was serious about this. He had no intention of going back to LA without that badge. They joined their little group and waited to see what was next.

"That, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of today's lessons. Per usual, you will be required to clean the weapon you used today. Unlike the sig, you will not be retaining these for the rest of the training. When the gun is cleaned to my satisfaction, either myself or Agent Henderson will take it from you. If you wish any further practice, please see either one of us and we will set up a time for you. You will _not_ be allowed to use them on the firing range without one of us present."

Deeks started to head to the cleaning room when he realized Amanda and Sofia had remained behind, their heads together. He stopped and walked back as the rest of the group went on without noticing. "What's up you two?" He asked as he stuffed his hands in his jeans pocket, the HK416 slung over his shoulder, giving him a weirdly familiar and comfortable feeling.

Amanda smiled at him and then sighed. "Sofia and I were comparing our experiences. Neither of us has ever fired an assault weapon and it just didn't feel like we could get a comfortable stance. I've shot guns and rifles, but this is different! I know I had to have dropped lower in the standings."

"You know that passing this class isn't based on where you come in on some list, right? If you show you're listening and improve, Sheppard isn't going to wash you out. It's just a little something to get the competitive juices flowing."

Amanda attempted to cross her arms but the weapon got in her way. "I know that! I just don't like to lose and if I can't get comfortable with this, then that's exactly what's going to happen."

"Ah, well then, I might be able to help with that."

Amanda's left eyebrow shot up and Sofia just gave him a look of disbelief as she asked. "And what, exactly, do you mean by that?" She asked, her tone belligerent.

Deeks held up his hands. "I don't mean anything bad by it in any way. However, no matter how much we avoid it, men and women are just built differently. It has nothing to do with your skills or abilities but is simply a biological fact." Sofia glared at him and he gulped. "Look, one of the best shots I know with the HK416 is a woman and she holds it differently than I do." He glanced at Amanda. "May I?" She nodded. "Okay, hold the weapon up in ready stance." Both women did. He walked around them, making an adjustment or suggestion here and there. Satisfied Kensi would be proud of him, he stopped and stood back. "Is that any better?"

Both women stepped up to the firing point and experimentally aimed their rifles at the targets. Amanda turned and smiled at him. "Yes! That made a huge difference. It feels more natural to hold it this way instead of how Sheppard showed us." Sofia nodded.

"Well, he is a guy."

Amanda smirked at him. "So, who's this woman who's such a great shot with a rifle? She some kind of sniper?"

"Yup. One of the best." The pride in his voice gave him away.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "It's Kensi, isn't it? Your girlfriend is not only an NCIS agent but a _sniper_?" Sofia's jaw dropped open.

Deeks quickly looked at his watch. "Oh! Look at the time. If we want to get out of here at a reasonable time tonight, we should get moving." He turned without waiting for their responses, hot footing it to the cleaning room, the two women on his heels and snagged a chair between Charlie and Phil. Amanda grabbed the one left open for her next to Charlie and Sofia hesitated. Without thinking, both Phil and John moved over to create an empty space and John pulled an empty chair from the table behind them over for her to sit in. She smiled appreciatively at him and he blushed.

"Where have you been?" Phil asked. He grinned and continued. "Charlie was just about to charge out there to find out what you were doing with his girl."

"I was not!" Charlie responded indignantly, blatantly ignoring the fact that he'd been staring at the door and tapping his foot while waiting for them.

"You were too!"

Amanda broke in before it degenerated to a childish rendition of 'did not', 'did too'. "Marty was showing us how a woman should hold an HK416."

All eyes at the table focused on Deeks. "Was he really?" Phil asked, his eyes twinkling.

"He did and he was right! It felt much more comfortable when he had us change our stance by just a little bit."

"And just exactly how does an ex-LA cop know how a woman should hold an assault weapon?" Phil was not going to let it go.

Sofia spoke up for the first time. "His fiancé is an NCIS agent _and_ a sniper!"

Phil tilted his head. "Kensi is a sniper?"

"You knew his fiancé was NCIS?" Asked Sofia.

"Sure, it's not a secret." Charlie answered. She opened her mouth to reply when she was interrupted by a voice from behind them.

"I knew it! I knew there was a reason why someone like you got into this program!" The words held acid and everyone turned to find Roberts looking Deeks up and down. "There's no way you got in on your own!"

Deeks sighed. He wondered what the man would think if he realized exactly who was behind his being here, a thought that made him pause. Was he really here on his own merits or was it because of who he knew? He tuned back in to find his friends on their feet, Phil nose to nose with Roberts as he vigorously defended his friend.

"Marty has over eleven years of police experience, boots on the ground! What do you have Roberts? Hmmm? What exactly do you bring to the table that's so much better?"

Roberts tried to stand his ground but Phil backed him up inch by inch. "I have a degree in Criminal Justice from UCLA! What's he have?"

Deeks sighed and stood up. "A law degree from Pepperdine." He said quietly. Roberts stared at him in shock. "Look, Mark." He deliberately used Roberts's first name to try to diffuse the tension. "I don't know why you took such a dislike to me but I don't deserve this. I've done nothing to you." He knew exactly why Roberts didn't like him, he'd been influenced by Carrington but that wasn't something he wanted the man to know he knew.

"You don't belong here!" Roberts responded.

"Why?"

"What?"

"Tell me the reasons why I don't belong here." Deeks said reasonably.

Roberts blinked a few times, not having expected to put forth the reasons for his opinion. "Well, first, just look at you! You look like a bum or some aging delinquent surfer or hippie!"

"Let's leave my looks out of this. A haircut, a shave and a suit do not make a good agent. Give me a more valid reason."

"I…I…you're cocky!"

"No more than you." Hissed Phil. Deeks gave him a look that clearly said back down and Phil nodded, taking a step back.

He looked back at Roberts and asked. "How have I shown myself to be cocky?"

"Showing off and cosying up to the instructors! Don't think we didn't all see the way Temple fell all over you during that last exercise! Don't think we didn't all notice that you were the last one out to the firing deck today, coming out with Sheppard and looking all buddy buddy! Is that how you plan to pass all your courses? Get in good with the instructors so they don't kick your ass to curb?"

Deeks knew he should be angry but he just felt tired. "No, I expect to pass my courses through hard work and listening to those instructors you apparently also have little respect for. You really think Agent Sheppard is gullible enough that he would pass me if I didn't have what it takes? Simply because I was nice to him?"

"I'd like to hear the answer to that myself, Mr. Roberts." No one had noticed Sheppard quietly walking up to the group and listening to the exchange. There was dead silence and Roberts looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. "Well? I'm still waiting." He asked again.

"I'm sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect to you. I merely wanted to point out that Deeks's actions speak louder than words."

"Yes, Mr. Roberts, they certainly do. I've seen a competent individual who has acquitted himself quite well in my course so far. I also have it on good authority from _Attorney-Advisor_ Templeton that he did the same in her course. She was not as complimentary about you."

"You spoke to her about me?" Roberts looked both offended and nervous at the same time.

"I spoke to her about all of you. I've found her to be a very good judge of character and, as she generally has the first course of the program, she gets the first look at each group of incoming trainees. She's given me many an insight into them that have turned out to be extremely accurate. And no, I will not tell you anything she said as it's confidential. Now, would you like to apologize to Mr. Deeks and the rest of the class for this little scene?"

Phil grinned and Deeks closed his eyes, knowing that this was just going to get worse. Roberts face went blank and he said. "Of course sir, I do apologize for bringing my concerns up in this manner." His words weren't really an apology and he sounded anything but apologetic.

Phil started forward again but Deeks put a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked Roberts in the eye and, equally as blatantly insincere, said. "Apology accepted. No hard feelings?" He stuck his hand out and the other man eyed it like it was something he'd found on the bottom of his shoe. The hand hung there for a few more moments before he forced himself to take it. He squeezed it hard, then looked shocked when Deeks returned the pressure, plus some. He'd had his hand wrung by Sam Hanna and Roberts was nowhere near the same league as his teammate. When he let it go, Roberts turned on his heel and made his way over to where he'd left his gun to be cleaned. Deeks was a little gratified to see him surreptitiously shaking out his hand.

"You okay there Deeks?" Sheppard asked.

Deeks smiled, although it didn't really reach his eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine Agent Sheppard. I'm sorry that this happened.

"What did I say about things not being your fault? If you're going to pass your courses, you need to listen to your instructors."

This time Deeks's smile was more genuine. "Understood…Gunny."

Sheppard smiled back and sketched a small salute before turning his attention back to the avidly watching class. "Don't you all have something you should be doing?" He barked out. The rest of the class hurriedly began cleaning their weapons again and the tension in the room seemed to recede a little. He turned back to Deeks and winked before putting his hands behind his back and striding over to begin his inspection of what had been done so far. Deeks watched him go and felt his respect for the man go up several more notches. He turned to find his friends watching him worriedly, but Sofia looked confused.

"What the hell was that all about?" She asked.

Phil cocked his head at Deeks, who nodded. They all sat down again and began to fill her in on the history between Deeks and Roberts during their first week of training, their weapons forgotten in front of them. She looked shocked and then her expression turned serious. "I don't understand. He's being unreasonable and judgmental. That's not the kind of behavior we need in an agent." Nods around the table showed everyone's agreement.

Deeks sighed and said. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, we need to get back to work so we can get out of here."

Amanda spoke up. "You know this is not going away, don't you? He's going to continue to make trouble for you."

"Then it's a good thing I have such a great team to watch my six." Deeks said as he smiled at all of them. He was surprised at how seriously they all took him as each one, including Sofia, nodded with grave expressions on their faces. "Hey! It's Friday! TGIF and all that. Let's get cracking so we can enjoy the weekend."

Phil seemed to understand that Deeks wanted to put this behind him and move on. "What's everyone doing this weekend?" He asked. That opened the flood gates of who had what plans and the group became more lively as they all discussed the merits, or lack thereof, of everyone else's plans. The time went quickly and they were finally done. Once they had their weapons inspected, approved and taken away by Sheppard, they prepared to leave as a group just as Henderson came in. As they had become used to, he said nothing, simply tacked the list up next to the other ones and left as quietly as he'd come. They all looked at each other and then surged forward.

Amanda ran her fingers down the list and moaned. "I knew it! I dropped three spots. Three!"

Sofia found her name and frowned as well, she was one spot behind Amanda. John stayed in third, Charlie moved up to fourth with Deeks and Phil were back to tying for first. Charlie ran his finger down the list looking for one more name and hmmphed when he found it. "Well, look at this. Roberts moved out of dead last. He's next to dead last. Guy name of Brad Higgins took over that honor."

Amanda frowned. "Who's that?"

Deeks had paid attention to his fellow trainees and remembered everyone's names. He turned and pointed out a mousey guy who was sitting at his table alone, dejectedly cleaning his weapon for the third time. Feeling a little sorry for him, Deeks found his feet making their way over to him without conscious thought. Without saying anything, he sat down and watched for a few moments, the guy watching him warily as he continued. When he missed a spot, Deeks reached out and pointed to it and began to give him some gentle suggestions. The two soon had their head over the gun, chatting softly. When Sheppard gave Higgins a thumbs on the cleaning, both men high-fived. Deeks walked back to the group waiting for him, the other man following faithfully on his heels.

"Guys, this is Brad. Brad this is Phil, Charlie, John, Amanda and Sofia." Hands were shaken all around as each name was said and then they turned to leave. Outside they found Roberts waiting but when he saw the crowd surrounding Deeks, he turned and stalked away. Deeks ignored him and headed to the parking lot, not willing to let the other man ruin his weekend. A weekend he could spend with Kensi. They broke up when they reached the cars, good nights, great weekends and see you at Starbucks Monday morning exchanged as they each made their way to their own vehicles, making sure Brad knew he was included. Deeks pulled out and checked his mirrors. No sign of Roberts or anyone else and he breathed a sigh of relief. That didn't stop him from varying his route home, taking a different exit than the night before, following different surface roads back to his complex. At no time did he see anything suspicious. He made quick work of showering and changing, even able to give Monty a somewhat leisurely walk.

He made his way to the hospital by another different route and parked on the opposite side of the building than normal, walking corridors he'd never been in before. He came upon an elevator bank and pushed the button, looking nonchalantly around him. When the door opened, he entered alone and pushed the floor one up from Kensi's. When he got off, he found his way to the stairwell and went down the one flight. Once in familiar territory, his steps quickened. He'd almost made it when he heard Kyle hail him from behind. Smiling, he turned to talk with the nurse.

"Sorry, Kyle! No contraband tonight."

Kyle laughed. "No worries Marty. I already had my dinner. How's things going?"

"Pretty good. How's my girl?"

"Awesome, as always." His smile seemed extra bright tonight but Deeks had too much on his mind.

"That she is. What's up with you?"

"Nothing much. Met someone new last night. Blind date. Went pretty well. We've already made plans to meet up over the weekend as we're both off."

"That's great! What's her name and what does she do?"

"Jaime and she's a nurse. Would you believe she works here? I've never seen her before, she's in surgical so our paths never crossed. Not all that surprising, it's a big hospital. A mutual friend set us up."

"It's a small world!"

"Yeah, well, I won't keep you from Kensi. Hope you guys have a great weekend, I plan to!" He waved goodbye as he continued on his rounds. Deeks smiled and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Hey baby, how's it going?" He reached the bed and leaned over to kiss her. She buried her hands in his hair and kissed him silly. When they came up for air, he grinned at her, his cares of the day forgotten. "What was that for?"

"Deeks, look!" She pointed to her legs and frowned, concentrating hard. Slowly, her right leg lifted a few inches off the bed. She was sweating but happy.

"Baby, that's awesome! When did this happen?"

"Martina has had me working on it but I wanted to surprise you when I could actually do it."

"That's amazing! What does Martina say?"

Kensi lit up. "She thinks it's even more likely that I'll regain full use of my legs if I keep going as I am. Deeks…" Her lips quivered. "I may be able to walk again, to go back to work." The tone of her voice told him volumes about how fearful she'd been that neither of those things would ever happen.

"I never had any doubts Kensalina. You are one of the strongest people I know. If anyone could do it, I knew it would be you." He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. Her other hand came up and she ran the back of it over his cheek.

"Marty, I…" Her voice deepened in a way he was very familiar with and he felt an answering tug. It'd been way to long since the last time they'd made love. He grabbed her hand and turned his face into it, kissing the palm, tickling it with the tip of his tongue. She sucked in a quick breath and opened her mouth. What she was about to say was lost when her phone rang. The tone indicated it was a FaceTime request. They looked at each other and grinned. "That can only be Nell and Eric."

Deeks laughed. "Yeah, only they could have such bad timing."

Kensi laughed in return. "This isn't over." She said. He leaned down to kiss her again when the notification went off for the second time. Sighing, he picked up the phone and handed it to her. Accepting the request, she smiled at the two faces that filled her screen. "Hey you guys! It's good to see you. How are things in LA?"

"Good, good, just like they were last night." Eric said. He was twitchy and that told Kensi and Deeks all they needed to know. They'd found something.

"Spill it, what did you find?" Deeks asked.

Nell's smile dimmed a little. "We found a little bit on both of them. First, we think we know why Carrington is so against you joining NCIS."

"And?" Kensi was impatient as always.

"Carrington wasn't always an instructor. He was a field agent and, from all we've been able to find, a pretty damn good one. He had a partner named Jeff Acevedo. From what we can tell, they were very close, best man at each other's wedding, godfather to each other's kids. In 2007, Carrington went on vacation with his wife to celebrate their tenth anniversary and NCIS paired Acevedo up with a rookie while he was gone. A James Paynter. The guy was shiny new out of the academy with high marks in all his classes, just a little bit…not by the book."

"Meaning like me." Deeks knew where this was going.

"Yeah, long hair, scruffy but graduated top of his class."

"I take it things didn't end well?" Deeks stomach cramped a little.

"No, no it didn't. The two were tracking down the murderer of a ships corpsman who was home on leave in Washington state. They figured out it was the guy's wife's lover and tracked him to small motel outside Tacoma. The two went there to take him in. The guy was armed and Paynter froze. It gave the guy time to shoot Acevedo three times in the chest and take off. He's still in the wind today. Carrington blamed Paynter for Acevedo's death, said he should never have graduated, should never have become an agent, should never have gone out in the field. He quit field work and became an instructor. He has the highest drop out rate of any instructor at Glynco."

"So, what, he thinks I'm like Paynter and will get someone killed? How old was this guy?"

"Twenty-five, fresh out of college." Nell said softly. Deeks thought about it. What would he do if Kensi were killed in a situation like that? He already knew he'd be obliterated but their relationship was different. Then he thought about Sam and Callen, their lives so intertwined. Aiden and Kamran calling Callen uncle. If anything were to happen to the other in a similar way, what would the one left alive do? He wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Kensi broke into his reverie. "What about Roberts?"

"He was a bit more difficult. Psych evals were borderline but not enough to preclude him from being accepted."

"You hacked his psych eval?" Deeks found this a little disturbing, wondering if they'd taken a peek at his as well.

"Not really." Eric replied. "It was more…an overall assessment."

"And what was the assessment?" Kensi asked.

"Minor obsessive compulsive disorder. Nothing that would make him unable to function either in society or as an agent."

Deeks looked up from his hands. "Anything about being easily led or manipulated?"

Nell frowned. "No, why?"

"Just a feeling I get from him. Carrington convinced him that I'm not worthy of being an agent pretty easily, to the point where he may be willing to sabotage me."

"Sabotage?" Three voices said simultaneously.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He really didn't want to get into it but he knew that these people, his family, needed to know everything. No omissions. Opening them, he told them what had happened that day, from the locker break in to the cleaning room confrontation. Trying to soften it a little, he added tidbits about his friend's backing him up, Sheppard's words that this wasn't his fault, the extension of his little group of people going up by one, maybe two. None of that assuaged their worry.

"Look, he's one guy…" He tried.

"With the backing of one of the instructors!" Nell interrupted him.

"So what do you think I should do?"

"We need to tell Hetty and Granger, maybe even Vance, about what's going on!" Eric said.

"No! I fight my own battles, I get through this, or not, on my own." Deeks was adamant.

"Shaggy, this isn't normal…letting someone above Carrington know what he's doing isn't giving in. We're your team, your family. We all have each other's backs. I'd want you to do the same for me." Nell said.

"Would you Velma? Would you really?" He asked.

She hesitated, knowing that they were more alike than either one wanted to admit. She was a woman in a man's world, like Kensi. He was the product of an abusive childhood. Both needed to prove that they could accomplish anything they set their minds to, on their own terms. Her hesitation spoke volumes. "I didn't think so, Nellasauros." He said quietly.

"Marty…" Her use of his first name told him she understood but didn't want to.

"Nell. I promise you, on my life, if things get too bad, I'll read in everyone at OSP, from the janitor to Hetty."

"You promise me?"

"I do."

Nell sighed and Eric opened his mouth to say something. Without looking she poked him in the ribs. The conversation had been mostly been between her and Deeks, the other two left out by some connection not really spoken of before. "Okay, but you need to check in more often."

"Done….so, what are Callen and Sam up to?"

"Oh, you know them, they say nothing but that usually means nothing good. They had a case today…" The conversation went on to more mundane topics and the mood lightened, although none of them forgot. After a little over a half hour, they decided to call it quits.

"We'll talk to you guys next week?" Kensi asked.

"You bet!" Eric replied.

Nell caught Deeks's eye and kept it. "Remember you promised me."

"I will Nell. I don't break my promises."

"He doesn't." Kensi said, taking his hand in hers.

"Okay then, we'll be in touch next week. Have a great weekend."

Deeks raised Kensi's hand to his lips again and a smile curved her lips. "We intend to." He said as he closed the app. "Now. Where were we?" Grinning, she motioned to the door. He got up and turned the lock. Turning back, he smiled but it gradually faded away as their eyes met, the temperature in the room raising. He took his time walking back to her side, enjoying the look of anticipation in her eyes.

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	10. Chapter 10

A/N – This is a big of breather chapter. Hope it's not boring!

A/N2 – Thanks, as always, to honus47 for being my sounding board and finding all my mistakes!

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Chapter 10

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Deeks and Kensi spent as much time together over the weekend as they could. They talked about it and agreed that they wouldn't discuss Carrington or Roberts until Sunday night. Instead, Deeks surprised her Saturday morning by renting a van with a wheelchair ramp and taking her and Monty for a long ride around Savannah to see the sights. He'd okayed it with Dr. Flanders, who'd thought it was an excellent idea. If it was at all possible, she often encouraged her patients to get out of the hospital occasionally. The fresh air, warm sunshine and the feeling of freedom after being cooped up in the hospital for weeks on end, did wonders for their mental health and they usually came back in better spirits and eager to get back to work on their rehab.

Deeks pushed her down to the van, then carefully lifted her out of the wheelchair and into the front passenger seat, buckling her in with the seatbelt. Monty barked excitedly, so happy to see her his whole body shook as his tail wagged madly. Deeks unbuckled him from the harness he took with him whenever he had the dog in a car, and Monty made a beeline to her side. Kensi laughed at the dog's antics and scratched him in all the right spots. Once the dog calmed and settled on the back seat, Deeks buckled him back into the harness. Then he made sure Kensi was comfortable, fussing over her a little bit until she slapped his hands and gave him 'the look'. Smiling he changed his focus to using the ramp to put the empty chair into the van, locking it in place. Satisfied, he put the ramp back up, shut the door and got in on the driver's side.

"Ready?"

"Am I ever! I feel like I haven't seen anything but the walls of that hospital forever!" He grinned at her and pulled out of the parking lot. They drove through downtown Savannah, admiring the stately old homes and then down River Street with its historic buildings, home to a myriad of shops and restaurants. Unfortunately, the cobblestone streets were difficult in a wheelchair, so they didn't stop to explore this first time out. They paused at the river as a riverboat cruise went by and agreed they'd try to make an effort to take one before they headed back to L.A. Driving through the city, both felt themselves relaxing from the worries of the past week. Deeks took the turn he'd been looking for onto East Park Avenue and started looking for a handicap parking spot. Seeing one up ahead, he turned on his directional and maneuvered the van into the spot.

"Why are we stopping here?" Kensi asked.

"We're going to take a walk around Forsyth Park. I read up on it, it's very wheelchair and dog friendly. It was created in the 1840s on 10 acres and then expanded to 30 in 1851. In the middle there's a huge fountain that was built in 1858 and a fragrance garden. Unfortunately, the garden is only open during the week. Still we should be able to see and smell some of it. Plus, there's a café where we can stop to eat, and it has a handicap bathroom."

She reached out and put her hand over his on the steering wheel. He'd obviously done his research. "Do you know how much I love you right now?"

He turned his hand over and took hers. "I love you too." He leaned over and kissed her, long and slow.

Finally coming up for air, she huffed out a laugh. "Wow."

He smiled and agreed, a little breathless himself. "Wow indeed. Now, come on, let's get this show on the road." Turning to look in the back, he took in the old dog snoozing on the backseat. "Monty? Wanna go for a walk?" The dog woke up immediately and began wagging his tail. Deeks got out and went around to the passenger side, opening the doors and pulling out the ramp. He climbed inside and pushed the wheelchair out to the sidewalk, positioning it by the front passenger door. Once the ramp was back inside, he closed the door again, much to Monty's dismay as he immediately made his displeasure known. "Not to worry, you're coming too. I just need to get Kensi ready and then you can get out." The dog seemed to understand, quieted and sat back down to wait patiently.

Opening the passenger door, he leaned in and gently put his hands under her knees and behind her back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, the fact that she couldn't help him souring some of her good mood. As if he knew what she was thinking, he gave her an admonishing look. "Nope, none of that now."

"None of what?" She asked innocently, knowing he could read her like a book.

"Stop thinking about what you can't do and start thinking about what you can. We're going to spend a nice day in a beautiful park. Just you, me, Monty and a few hundred of our closest friends." Indicating the number of people they'd seen walking inside the park. As he'd hoped, she started to laugh, and her mood immediately showed improvement. He carefully placed her in the wheelchair and made sure she was secure. Closing the door, he opened the back again and grabbed Monty's leash from where he'd stashed it under the front seat. Seeing the leash, the dog stood up and patiently waited for his human to release him from the harness and secure the leash to his collar. Done, he jumped out of the van and promptly began sniffing around, excited at all the new scents, the two of them laughing at his enthusiasm as he dragged Deeks this way and that. When he finally calmed down, they came back to Kensi, where Deeks reached into the bag hung off the back and pulled out a pair of sporty looking wheelchair gloves he'd gotten for her in black and white.

"Here." He handed them to her. "I don't plan on doing all the work."

She took them and turned them over in her hands, investigating the closures and admiring the colors as she thought about how considerate he could be. She looked up from them. "When did you get these? Where did you get these?"

"Amazon works in mysterious ways."

"Very funny. Deeks…thank you." Her eyes filled up with tears.

"They're just a pair of gloves, Kens." He knelt next to her, a bit worried. Monty put his head in her lap and she absently patted him.

"It's not just the gloves, it's everything. Coming to Savannah, making the long trip back and forth to Glynco every day when it would be so much easier to have an apartment there, being so supportive of my rehab, renting the van, bringing me here, thinking of everything, always being there for me. I want you to know I appreciate it, all of it."

"I know you do. I know things got…a little messed up there for a while, but we're doing better now, and I know you'd do the same for me."

"You're right, I would." She said fiercely, meaning very word of it. He leaned in and kissed her gently.

Standing up he said, he locked the van up and asked. "Now, how about you put those on and we get this party started?" She smiled and made a show of slowly pulling on the gloves and adjusting them this way and that until both man and dog were getting antsy.

"Okay, I think I'm ready now."

"Yeah? You sure? You don't want to take them off and start over? Adjust them a little more?" He teased her.

"Nope, got them just the way I want them." She laughed up at him.

"Okay, then, mush!" An older couple walking by looked at him disapprovingly. In return, he gave them his best crooked smile. Kensi watched the woman's expression change to one she was familiar with. Didn't matter the age, he charmed them all without even trying. Shaking her head a little, she began to push herself towards the entrance, glad that she was practiced at this by now, her upper arms no longer feeling like wet noodles after just a few minutes of moving the wheels forward.

They turned into the park and proceeded to enjoy the rest of their day, checking out the lovely walk to the fountain which was lined with oak trees and draped in Spanish moss, savoring a leisurely afternoon meal at the café and being treated to the sight of a wedding being held at the fountain. They talked and talked about nothing and anything. No trying to predict what would happen with her legs, with his training. At one point they tried to one up each other on how the rest of their team would react when he got his badge, each suggestion getting more and more ridiculous, finally ending when they both dissolved into laughter. All in all, a very pleasant and stress-free day.

She fell asleep on the way home, not waking up until Deeks opened the door after they got back to the hospital. He'd gotten permission earlier in the day to bring Monty up to her room and, when they got there, the dog whined until Deeks picked him up and placed him on the bed next to Kensi, where he snuggled into her side and promptly fell asleep. They stayed a little past visiting hours and took their leave when it was obvious she was having trouble staying awake. He said his goodbyes as he watched her lose her battle and fall asleep. He picked the dog up off the bed and stood him on the floor, being careful not to wake her. Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead and whispered. "Sleep well my love." They headed back to his apartment.

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Sunday was a little more relaxed as they watched a movie on Netflix in her room and he helped her with her exercises. By the time the afternoon was waning, however, both began to feel the tension in the room increase. They ate dinner quietly and when done, she looked at him and he sighed.

"I don't know what else to do, Kens. There's been nothing either one of them has done that I have proof of. I have people who are watching my back, including Temple and Sheppard. I'm good."

She sighed. "I know. Just...promise me you'll be careful?"

"I will. Anyway, they want me out of the program, not dead." He laughed a little.

She didn't laugh with him like he'd hoped. "I understand that, but I also understand that sometimes things happen, even if you didn't mean it. What if, instead of just putting your aim off, tampering with your gun had caused it to explode? You could have been badly hurt, even killed if the shrapnel hit you just right!"

"But it didn't."

"You were lucky! You saw the marks on the lock and ended up never using that gun! It could have gone the other way."

"The operative words are 'could have', baby. It didn't, I didn't and I'm fine. I promise you, I'm keeping a very careful eye on things."

"But you couldn't keep an eye on your locker overnight! And how did they know about the cameras? No one outside the instructors are supposed to know. I guarantee you Carrington told Roberts."

"That's the most likely answer, but, look, nothing they've done so far has worked."

"The operative words are 'so far'." She responded darkly, throwing his own terms back at him.

"Well, I'm still here and I'm not going anywhere! If anything, this has made me more determined than ever to not only pass, but to do so at the top of the class." He sounded so determined, she had to smile.

"Do you think you should try to talk to Carrington? Get him to see you're not some wet behind the ears kid?"

"I thought about it, but I'm pretty sure he won't listen to me. He knows most of my background already, but he's so convinced that I'm like the guy who got his partner killed, that he's doing things that could get him fired. How do you overcome that kind of irrational thinking?"

"I don't know. What I'd really like is to have Sam and Callen have a little talk with him." Both pictured that scene and burst out laughing, lightening the mood.

"I'd pay to see that!" He said.

She raised an eyebrow, her hopes rising. "We can arrange it. I bet if we read the rest of the team in on what's going on, the whole crew could be here within hours and, if I know Sam and Callen at all, armed for bear. The bear's name being Neal Carrington."

He sighed. "That's exactly what I don't want. I can fight my own battles."

"Everyone needs someone sometimes, Deeks." She pointedly looked down at her legs and then back to him.

"I know that, but your situation is different."

"It is, but I worry about you! I'm too far away to be of any help if you need me."

Deeks had a sudden thought and impulsively pulled out his cellphone. He dialed a number while Kensi frowned at him, not knowing what he was up to.

"Yo, Deeks! What's up?" Phil had been surprised to see the name that came up on his caller id.

"Phil, I was thinking. It's about time you met Kensi. You got FaceTime on your phone?"

"Dude, I have two teenage kids and a wife who's miles away from me right now. What do you think?"

"Cool. I'll send you a request."

"Looking forward to meeting your lady!"

"Talk to you in a bit."

"I'll be waiting."

He hung up and smiled at Kensi. "I think once you 'meet' Phil, you'll feel better." She hmphed and crossed her arms over her chest. He laughed and sent through the request, which was answered immediately.

"Hey Phil."

"Hey Deeks, what's up with the sudden need to introduce me to your Kensi?"

"She's a little worried about being so far away from me if I need help with Roberts and/or Carrington."

"Put her on." Deeks turned the phone sideways and sat on the edge of her bed so both were visible in the frame. He heard a low whistle. "Dude, she is so out of your league!" Kensi started to laugh and waved at the man on the screen. The guy staring back at her reminded her so strongly of Sam, she felt she could trust him to watch over the most important person in her life and her worry lessened a little.

"It's nice to meet you Phil."

"You too Kensi. Now, what's this I hear about you being worried about your surfer boy?" Deeks shot him a dirty look.

She almost said she wasn't used to not having his back, that that was what partners did. She remembered at the last moment that none of his new friends knew about his association with OSP. "It's exactly as he said, that I'm so far away and can't help him if Carrington or Roberts do something that ends up with him hurt."

"He's not alone, he's made a lot of friends in just the short time we've been here. We all know what's going on and we're all watching his back."

"Thank you, I feel better hearing that. Still doesn't make it easy."

"I bet. Deeks, would you mind leaving Kensi and me alone for a few minutes?"

Deeks opened and closed his mouth a few times, not sure where this had come from. He found both of them silent and staring at him. "Um, okay? But, no stories about me, from either of you!" He stood up and left the room, still not sure how he felt about this. Outside, he began to pace back and forth.

Inside, Kensi tilted her head at the silent man on the screen. Finally, she prompted him. "Well?"

"Look, Kensi, I know you don't know me but Deeks has become a good friend. I'll do anything it takes to make sure he's not hurt in any way and that includes being washed out of the program because of some weird obsession someone has with him."

"I appreciate that and I'm glad to hear it from you. Still, that doesn't warrant wanting to speak to me alone, does it?"

"No, it doesn't. Look, he's really close mouthed about some things, but I get the feeling he's more than he's letting on. He knew the NCIS mission statement by heart, didn't miss a beat. Maybe it's because of his association with you, maybe he memorized it, but somehow, I doubt it. I saw the way he handled the HK416. That's not the kind of weapon LAPD uses pretty much outside SWAT and he hasn't said anything about being part of that elite group. I don't need to know, I just want to put it out there that if he has connections, maybe he should use them."

She found herself liking him more and more. "I know what you mean, but he can be a stubborn ass. He wants to do this on his own, with out help from anyone else."

"Anyone else meaning someone like Sam Hanna?"

"Yeah, he told me you both knew Sam. Small world, isn't it?"

"It is, but the Sam Hanna I knew probably wouldn't have all that much to do with an LAPD detective."

Kensi wondered if he knew how close he was to the truth about how Sam had felt about Deeks when he'd started the liaison position. How they'd all felt. For most of them, it didn't take long for him to make them realize he was good at his job. Sam, however, had had blinders on about him until Sidorov. After that, no one was more protective of Deeks, other than her.

"You'd be surprised at what Sam thinks about him."

"Yeah? I wonder why he's acting out of character for the man I know?"

"Well, maybe he's changed." She evasively.

Phil barked out a laugh. "Not bloody likely. Ok, I get it, whatever it is, neither of you is going to give it up. Just know that we've got eyes on him at all times."

"Thank you." She meant it. "Can I ask him to come back in now? If I know him, he's already worked up some several different scenarios about this little private talk and I would bet his number one guess would be pretty close to the truth. He's good like that."

Phil laughed. "Yeah, okay. I just crashed and burned trying to get any more information out of you than I was able to get out of him. Bring him on back."

Kensi called out and Deeks was through the door in a flash, looking from her to the phone in her hand. She put her other one out and beckoned to him. He moved to her side and took the proffered hand. Sitting back down on the bed, he looked at Phil smirking back at him from the small screen. "Ok, what have the two of you been talking about behind my back?"

Kensi squeezed his hand. "It was nothing, Phil just wanted to reassure me that everyone knows the score and that they're all watching your six." He looked unconvinced. "Come on, Deeks. It was just a few minutes, how many secrets could I have given away in that short a time?"

"Plenty." He sounded disgruntled and she grinned at him until she finally got an answering smile. Turning back to Phil, they began to talk about other things, the three of them getting along so well that there were no awkward silences, just a lot of laughter. When they finally ended their call, Kensi knew all about his family and his background. She was relieved he was in Deeks's corner. After the call, there wasn't as much talking and a lot more kissing.

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Monday dawned bright and beautiful and Deeks hummed as he made his way to Glynco. He'd enjoyed their weekend and was happy that Phil and Kensi had gotten along so well. He was hoping she'd be able to come to his graduation, _and he was determined to graduate_ , and that they would already be friends. He pulled into Starbucks and ambled inside. The whole gang was already there plus two. Brad Higgins was sitting with them and looking a little less mousey as he talked with animation about something or other. Sofia Jimenez sat next to him, adding her own comments now and then. Phil caught sight of him and waved, which he returned. He got up to the counter to find his coffee waiting for him.

"Thanks Claire!"

"You're welcome, Marty. You know, if your group starts getting any bigger, we're going to have to start charging you rent!" She winked to let him know she was kidding.

He smiled back and asked how her weekend had gone and they spent a couple minutes exchanging stories of what they'd done, until more people came in and he wished her a good day before wandering over to his table.

"Hey guys." A myriad of hey Deeks or hey Marty's were said as he sat down. "So, what are we all talking about?"

"The weekend." Amanda said, looking at Charlie who blushed a little.

"Training and Roberts." Brad said. "Everyone's filled me on what's been going on. I can't believe something like this could happen at an NCIS agent training course."

"Us either." Charlie said. "I'm ashamed to say I was one of the ones who Carrington influenced that first day. I said some things to Marty that weren't very nice. I apologized once I had the chance to think about it and he didn't hold it against me." He smiled at Deeks who lifted his coffee cup in acknowledgement.

"Ok, kids, let's talk about something else." Deeks said, eager to change the subject. He'd talked about it enough. It was what it was and would work out, one way or another, eventually. Talk turned to their training and guesses made for what was coming at them that morning in Sheppard's class. Brad started to look depressed and Deeks nudged him. "What's up, Brad?"

"I'm in dead last in the standings. I never thought shooting an HK416 would be so difficult. It's not like I could have practiced before I got here! It seemed like I just couldn't get it. I'm not all that great with the sig either. I'm afraid I'll wash out."

Deeks looked at his watch. They had about an hour before class. "What do you say we head over and get in some practice before class starts? You'll get the hang of it."

"You sure?" Brad perked up.

"Of course! You heard Sheppard, we can train with the sigs if we let someone know we're there. I wouldn't be surprised to find Agent Henderson already there. If not, well, no harm, no foul. We'll just be a bit early for class. We can ask if we can practice with the HK416s during lunch."

"Thanks! I don't know what to say."

"Say 'let's go' and grab your coffee." Deeks stood up and so did everyone else. "You don't all have to go."

Phil laughed. "Come on, Deeks. First, we aren't letting you out of our sights and second, you're not going to get all the credit for turning Higgins into a crack shot!" Everyone laughed as they headed out. True to Deeks's prediction, Henderson was already there and gave them permission to practice, but only with the sigs, preferring Sheppard to be there to give his permission for the rifles. Brad got so many instructions from so many people, he started to look confused until Phil stepped in and laid down the law that only he and Deeks would do the talking, unless one of them had a specific comment that would help. The group watched as they showed him how to check his gun before using it, corrected his hold to better his aim, how to use the site to his best advantage, how to breathe through the shot. By the end of the hour, while not exactly a crack shot, he was at least hitting the target more often than not. Gradually, as they were practicing, the rest of the class had shown up, drawn to the firing range by the sound of gun fire. Roberts was one of the last to appear and he looked sour when he realized Deeks's posse had grown again. He just didn't understand the attraction, but he kept his mouth shut, for now.

Sheppard showed up shortly before starting time, pleased to see one of his worst trainees practicing and getting help from others. That was what teamwork was all about. He wasn't blind, he saw Roberts watching them with a sneer on his face and sighed. He started class with a refresher on the sig and was pleased to see that Higgins showed more confidence. He gave his permission for practicing on the HK416s over lunch, keeping a careful eye on them during the hour, adding his advice to Phil and Deeks's. In the afternoon, they switched to AK47s and he wasn't surprised to see that his two best students were as comfortable with this rifle as they were with the other one. Higgins even seemed more comfortable and made more shots. At the end of the day, he was pleased to see that the man had moved out of last place and Roberts had taken over the spot again. It would give him ammunition to give him as low marks as he could.

While they were cleaning their weapons, he cleared his throat and made his announcement. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, tomorrow is the last training day for this class. You've proven you can fire a gun but tomorrow, we'll see if you can prove you know when to fire and when not to. During the entire day, you'll be practicing in the shooting gallery. You might recognize the term the FBI calls theirs by, Hogan's Alley. For those of you who aren't familiar with this, it's a training run with "shoot/don't shoot" scenarios where dummies will pop out and you will need to make a split-second decision whether to shoot or not. You will be expected to shoot all the "bad guys" while not shooting obvious civilians like old men or women with babies."

Deeks had to smile as he remembered doing this exercise during Hetty's 'Deeks Professional Development' phase. He'd known what he was doing, he hadn't been a cop for as long as he'd been without knowing enough to be sure your target was an actual bad guy. When the target with Hetty's form had spun around, he'd deliberately put a bullet through its forehead and uttered a somewhat insincere 'oops'. Her response was priceless, calling him a cheeky bastard. Damn, he missed her.

Sheppard noticed the smile and wondered at the faraway look on the man's face. He decided he would ask about that later and continued. "The day after tomorrow, this class will end as each of you will go through the gallery and you will be graded on how well you do. You need to remember, you will be expected to carry a gun at all times when you're on duty and your actions will reflect on NCIS. As we've all seen in the news lately, shooting an innocent, by mistake or otherwise, can not only ruin the lives of their entire family, but also yourself and yours and I don't mean just your career. Killing someone is not easy to live with, killing an innocent is next to impossible. We need to be sure you know exactly what you are doing at all times. Now, when you're done cleaning your weapons, stow them away and head out. I'll see you in the morning."

His announcement over, the class returned to their tasks, the room buzzing with talk about what going through a shooting gallery would be like. Deeks's group was no exception. Charlie looked at him and asked. "Deeks, you're the only one with law enforcement experience, you ever done one of these before?"

"Actually, I did. Once."

"How'd you do?" Asked Phil.

"Shot a civilian in the head."

"Seriously?" Amanda asked.

"Seriously, but…it _was_ a perfect head shot." He replied with a laugh.

"I take you didn't pass?" Sofia asked.

"No, I did. That particular target was someone I could legitimately say was very dangerous in some circles."

"Oh, who?" This time Brad was the one asking what everyone wanted to know.

"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you." Deeks was now wishing that he'd lied and said he'd never done this before either. Phil caught his tone of voice and remembered his conversation with Kensi last night. He turned the focus of the conversation to the others by teasing them about how many civilians each of them would accidentally shoot and they forgot about it for the moment. Deeks shot him a grateful look.

When everyone was done cleaning their weapons and gotten Sheppard's approval, they headed out as a group, Roberts watching them go, exasperated that Deeks always seemed to be surrounded. His plan to make him look bad in the courtroom testimony class had backfired. Deeks's confession that he had a law degree from Pepperdine explained that. Caught up in his obsession, this fact did nothing to convince him that the other man was worthy of being an agent. His next act had, unfortunately, also produced no results, filing the barrel down hadn't done a damn thing. He wracked his brains for another way to discredit him or have him fail the course, but nothing came to him. When he finally had his weapon cleaned and approved, he headed out, hoping to catch sight of the group but they'd scattered to the four winds. He headed back to his lonely studio apartment, stopping to pick up a pizza to eat in front of the television as he seethed in frustration.

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	11. Chapter 11

A/N – I checked into the training for an NCIS agent and I intended to follow the list, but most were out of my league. So, I took some creative license and switched up some classes as well as adding a couple that weren't listed. No slight is intended towards the rigorous training agents have to go through.

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Chapter 11

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Phil kept an eye on the door to the coffee shop, starting to get worried when Deeks was late, remembering his promise to Kensi. The others caught his concern and heads swiveled every time the door opened. He was just about to pull out his cell phone to call the missing man, when he sauntered through the door. He had to smile when he saw the barista hand Deeks his coffee and make a pointed show of looking at her watch. Whatever he said to her made her laugh, Deeks joining in. When he turned towards their table, they all pretended they hadn't been watching for his arrival.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late. I overslept a little. What'd I miss?" He didn't want to admit that he'd been up half the night thinking about Roberts and Carrington, wondering if there was anything he could do to change their minds and get them off his back.

"Not much, just speculation about this shooting gallery thing." Phil replied.

"It's not all that bad. The figures are pretty obvious as to whether they're a good guy or a bad guy. Sadly, you won't have the same information when you're out on the streets. Someone you think is a good guy can shoot you the moment you turn your back. Guy looks like a gang banger can be a standup guy. Others? Well, they're somewhere in the middle." That made him think of Ray. Guy sold weapons to the highest bidder, but he was one of the best friends Deeks had had growing up. Some would argue that he should have gone to jail instead of getting witness protection. He wondered, as he always did when Ray came to mind, how he was doing, how he liked being a father, how Jenna was doing, if he'd crow about knowing he and Kensi would get together before either one of them had had an inkling.

"Well, that's encouraging!" Sofia responded sharply, bringing him out of his reverie. He smiled at her.

"Unfortunately, that's life. And some of the bad guys? Hell, they don't even do their own dirty work, they pay others to do it for them. Can make it hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys without a score card."

"You sound pretty jaded for someone starting a new career as a federal agent." Brad tilted his head at Deeks, not being sarcastic, just wondering what made this man tick. What he'd seen so far, he'd liked. If he was ever in a tight spot, he had a feeling Deeks would be a good guy to have with him. Phil was another.

"No, not jaded, just…realistic and speaking from experience."

"So, you think we'll all pass?" This was from Charlie.

"Sure, just pay attention to Agent Sheppard and you should do fine. Remember, he's here to make sure you know what you're doing and are safe out there. He's not trying to trip anyone up just for kicks."

"Even Roberts?" John asked, half in jest.

"Everyone." Deeks shot him a hard look, all traces of the happy go lucky surfer gone as he remembered agents he'd known who'd died doing the job. Renko, Lauren Hunter, Snyder, even Dom, though he'd never really met him, were a few that came to mind. The list was just too long. Add in others that had come close, people he cared about, and it got longer.

"Sorry, I was just kidding and I didn't mean anything by it." John said sheepishly, thinking he'd just seen a side of Deeks that few did.

"It's okay, but remember, you may need to rely on someone like Roberts in the future and you better hope he has good training and instincts."

"You really think Roberts fits that description?" Phil asked.

"I don't know what to think about him." Deeks admitted. He was tired of this conversation as it too closely mirrored what had kept him up last night, so he looked at his watch and was actually surprised at the time. "Crap, we need to get going!" They quickly gathered up their trash and made for the parking lot en masse.

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Sheppard watched his class enter the training room and smiled when he saw Deeks once again surrounded by his friends. The smile faded when he saw Roberts enter and stand by himself. He thought, not for the first time, that the man had alienated everyone in the class and that made for a lonely life. He sighed and walked up to the front. "Please be seated." He waited until everyone complied. "Today will be one of the most important training exercises you will participate in. The shooting gallery will test your response time and ability to differentiate between friend and foe. Tomorrow you will be tested on it and will be expected to pass with a 90% success rate. That means you get _one_ mistake. That mistake may be hitting the wrong person or missing the target altogether. Less than 90% and you will be required to take it again until you either pass or are dropped from the program." His eyes strayed to Roberts who stared back impassively.

"There will be ten targets who will vary from young children to assailants with guns. Your ability to decide when to shoot and when not to, will be a large part of your overall grade in this course. Don't try to get fancy and go for a head shot on any of the targets, remember that hitting your assailant center mass will be easiest. Going for a head shot in the field and missing can result in your death or that of your partner. Missing here will be your one mistake, out in the field you could pay for that one mistake in a way you don't even want to imagine. As you already know, you are graded on each course with either a pass or fail grade. If you do well, you will pass with high marks. If you barely pass, that will be noted as well. Too many grades of barely passing will result in you not passing the program as a whole. Each of you will take your turn as the others watch. The gallery will be reset between each trainee in a different pattern, so don't bother to try to memorize which ones you should shoot and which ones you shouldn't, just watch and learn from their mistakes." He looked around the room, giving them a moment to think about it. "Please get your sigs from your lockers and meet back here."

The class got up and went into the cleaning room, opening lockers, chatting about what they might expect and making predictions on who would do well and who wouldn't. Deeks checked the new locker Sheppard had assigned him after the fiasco with the last one and didn't find anything suspicious. He opened it and pulled out the new sig he'd been given, inspecting it carefully and, once again, finding nothing wrong. He breathed a sigh of relief and automatically stuck the gun in the back of his waistband, pulling his shirt over it to hide it. He turned to find Phil looking at him with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled and pulled it back out, knowing that Sheppard would not approve of trainees hiding their weapons. He tilted his head at Phil who grinned back at him, not one word spoken.

When everyone had their guns in hand, Sheppard spoke up. "If you'll follow me, the gallery is this way." He moved through a door that they hadn't been through before and the class followed closely on his heels. When he opened a door into a darkened room, most exchanged glances, not sure what to expect, even Deeks. The one time he'd done this, Hetty and Kensi had set it up in the firing range at the Mission. He'd done some research on Hogan's Alley after Sheppard had mentioned it the day before, and he'd been impressed but was pretty sure there was nothing like that here at Glynco. The FBI version was unique as it was set up as an actual small town, similar to a movie set. Reading about it reminded him, in a small way, of the kill house his team had attended when they were undercover to figure out if the ability of a wanted cartel member to avoid capture had been pure luck or a leak resulting in the ambush of the team sent it to capture him. As they all moved in, Sheppard turned on the light and the room came into view. There were rows of seats in front of a glass partition. On the other side was what looked like a firing range. Deeks smiled, now this looked familiar.

"The firing range on the other side of the glass is where you will each complete the exercise. The room is sound proof so those in here will not hear the shots. The participant will wear protective eye cover and headsets that will be provided for them. This room will be kept in darkness and the lights in the gallery will vary randomly. It may be pitch black to mimic a moonless night or as bright as the sunniest day you can remember. You will need to be able to function in all conditions. Again, the targets and light will be changed between each trainee. The order in which you will take your turn is based on your rankings with the various weapons we have been training with. By now you should all be familiar with your sig and understand it's quirks and tendencies. Use that to your advantage. Mr. Roberts, you're first up."

A look of anger flashed across Roberts's face as he realized being last in the class meant he had to go first. It disappeared behind a bland mask as he stepped forward. Both Sheppard and he went through the small door to the right and disappeared. When Sheppard came back alone, everyone faced forward to see what would happen. The lights in the room went out, plunging them into darkness. On the other side of the glass the lights were gradually turned up to a dim level. Roberts stepped out and moved to the middle, his protective gear in place. He took his stance and nodded once. Suddenly one of the targets flipped around, causing a gasp from some of the onlookers. Roberts flinched but shot accurately, hitting the figure of a man holding a gun, in its chest. The lights went way up and he squinted, trying to adjust to the increase in brightness. The next target turned and he almost shot, stopping himself at the last moment when the figure turned out to be a small girl carrying a teddy bear.

The exercise continued with the lights going up and down and, at one point, on and off like a lightning storm. He made the right decisions up until the last one. The target turned to show a woman and he pulled his shot, only to see she held a machine gun in her hands. Aggravated, he turned and slammed out of the room. Sheppard turned to the class. "Mr. Roberts did very well for his first time out. The one thing that tripped him up was his expectations. Just because the target shows someone you expect to be one of the good guys, you have to pay attention to the whole situation. The fact that the last target was a woman was inconsequential to the fact that she was armed and dangerous. A fact you would all do well to remember." He looked down at the clipboard he was carrying. "Mr. Higgins, you're up next."

Brad got up to wishes of good luck and headed out of the room. His first time out was not as good as Roberts, but he made only two mistakes, ones he was determined not to make the next time. The rest of the class took their turns, some doing well, some failing miserably. The last two to go were Deeks and Phil. As they were tied at the top of the class, Sheppard allowed them to decide who went first. Phil wanted to go before Deeks as he knew his friend would probably score high. He scored 100% and was very pleased with himself. Deeks high-fived him on the way out to gear up for his turn. When he stepped out into the firing gallery, he looked into the dark room where he knew everyone was watching. Surprised, he saw a sign, handwritten on lined paper, held up to the glass that said "Knock 'em dead!" He laughed, knowing full well it was Phil holding it up. Turning, he took his stance and nodded he was ready. The targets turned one by one, the lights going up and down and he found himself enjoying the exercise, especially as none of the targets were firing back. As expected, he had a perfect score as well.

Done, he turned back to the glass, raised his gun in front of his face, barrel pointing up and blew out across the top of it. Behind the glass, his friends started to laugh as the lights went up in the room, even knowing he couldn't hear them. Roberts scowled at them. Phil shook his head. "Lighten up Roberts."

"That, right there, is the reason why he's not cut out to be an agent! He's not taking this seriously!"

Deeks had stepped into the room in time to hear what Roberts said. Quietly he responded. "I take this very seriously Mark. I've had to make those decisions out in the real world and I'm relieved to say I've always made the right ones, at least so far." He pictured Kensi's face when she thought he'd shot an unarmed Aryan when they were trying to take down Clarence Fisk. It was not something he ever wanted to see again, on anyone's face. "I was deadly serious in there while completing the exercise. Once it was over, I saw no reason why I couldn't make a small joke. I'm sorry that it bothered you so much. I'll try not to let it happen again." He knew he'd probably fail at that, it was in his nature to joke around, but he only did so when it was appropriate. He was always all business when he needed to be. Roberts folded his arms across his chest and the scowl stayed. Deeks sighed and turned away.

Sheppard had watched with interest, noting that Deeks had tried to bridge the gap and Roberts had refused to accept it. The man was beyond stubborn but, sadly, he'd acquitted himself well in the gallery. He cleared his throat and said. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, we'll break for lunch and reconvene here in an hour where everyone who scored less than 90% will try again. Those who did score 90% or better, are welcome to take the rest of the day off or return and give your classmates your support. It's up to you." The class began to break up and Deeks's group gathered to make plans. Phil and Deeks were the only two who didn't need to come back, but both wanted to be there for their friends. Of the other five, Brad and John had both scored 80%, Charlie and Sofia 70% and a very subdued Amanda, 60%. They decided on burgers and headed out to the Five Guys in Brunswick, the next town over, taking two cars. Once they had their food and found a table that would accommodate all seven, the talk turned to the morning's exercise and its results. Deeks noted that Amanda pushed her food around but didn't really eat any.

Reaching over, he put a hand over hers, stilling the nervous motion. She looked up at him and straightened her shoulders, not wanting to show any weakness. "Amanda, it's only your first run through. You'll get to do it again this afternoon and you'll do fine."

"How do you know? Maybe I'm not cut out to be an agent after all."

"Do you really believe that?"

"No, no I don't. I think, no, I _know_ I'd make a good agent, but I need to pass these classes first. What if I don't?"

"Well, it won't be because you didn't try." Charlie said, putting his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him and sighed.

"I know. But trying doesn't always translate to doing."

Phil grinned at her. "You'll pass, you all will. You're all too stubborn to do otherwise! It's why we all get along so well." The others laughed and Deeks turned the conversation to things other than NCIS. When they were done they headed back, the ones that needed to go through the training again were in better spirits. It didn't escape anyone's notice that Mark Roberts hadn't returned. He was the only one who didn't come back to cheer on and support the rest of the class. The afternoon went quickly with everyone making additional attempts. By the end of the day, every one of the trainees had scored 90%, although some, like Amanda, had had to go through it more than once.

When they broke up for the night, they agreed to go out for drinks the next night after their final test, regardless of how they fared. When Deeks and Phil were the only ones left, Phil turned to his friend. "Do you ever feel really, _really_ old?"

"Hell yeah, man! I thought it was just me!"

"Nah. I mean, I've got a wife and kids at home. I've done a tour in Iraq. These guys are just starting out."

"Maybe so, but they're good kids and make me hopeful for the future."

"Most of them."

Deeks sighed. "Roberts is the proverbial bad apple. He's not indicative of the rest."

"Maybe. How will you feel if he passes and becomes an NCIS agent?"

"I'm not really sure. If I pass as well, then there's nothing more that needs to be said between us."

"I hope he agrees with you. He could be a thorn in your side for years to come."

Deeks thought about it. He decided he wasn't really all that worried. Once he was officially an agent, he knew he could count on Hetty, the wonder twins and his team to have his back. He was pretty sure Roberts would never have that, not unless he changed his attitude. He smiled at Phil. "I don't think I'll need to worry about him once training is over."

"I hope you're right."

"Aren't you worried that you're being painted with the same brush by being my friend?"

Phil snorted. "The moment I let that little twerp interfere with my career and my selection of friends, is the day I admit I'm not cut out to do this." He paused. "I don't plan on letting that happen."

"Me either." They looked at each other and knew they both meant it. Saying their goodbyes, they each headed home, Deeks doing his new normal of practicing his tradecraft and varying his way home, watching his rearview mirror. While he wasn't as worried as he'd been those first few days, it had become a ritual with him. What he didn't know, was that Roberts had been waiting for him in the parking lot, sitting in a rental car he'd gotten during the afternoon. Somewhere between Glynco and Savannah, he lost track of his prey and pounded on the steering wheel, furious that the scruffy surfer had managed to lose him, never once wondering how he'd known enough to do so or how he'd succeeded. Something that should have made him change his opinion of the man, instead ramping up his hatred.

Oblivious of the anger he'd left behind, Deeks cleaned up, fed Monty and took him for a leisurely walk before he headed to the hospital. He stopped at China Wok, a Chinese restaurant he'd discovered in the area and ordered enough food for three, knowing Kyle was on duty that night. He'd discovered the night nurse had a weakness for their Mongolian Pork and Vegetable Mai Fun. When he got to the hospital, he stopped for his normal conversation at the registration desk and then made his way up to Kensi's room. As expected, Kyle was hovering around her door, obviously waiting for Deeks and whatever he'd brought with him. He didn't say a word as he held out the bag holding the food he'd brought for the man. Kyle took it with a grin, opened it and sniffed appreciatively. He closed it up and then paused. "You know you don't need to bring me food when you bring it for Kensi, don't you? I'm never going to stop you from bringing her something that will make her happy."

"I know. I bring it because I want to, and I know what good care you take of Kensi. How's things going with Jaime?"

Kyle beamed. "Great! We spent the whole weekend together and had a great time. We talk every day and we're going out again the next time we both have the night off."

"That's great, man! How's my girl doing?"

Kyle was conflicted. He knew Kensi was doing well, better than expected even. However, she'd asked him not to tell Marty exactly how far along she was. She had something planned to surprise him and hoped that she'd be able to stand on her own two feet for some special event about two months from now. He hated keeping secrets from a man he liked and who treated him so well. Not many of his other patient's friends and family even knew his name, let alone made a point to find out what he liked and bring it to him. Still, Kensi was pretty persuasive. He hesitated, then smiled and prevaricated. "She's doing great! You should be very proud of her."

"Always am, my friend, always am."

"Good to hear. Well, my dinner break is upon me and I suddenly have an excellent alternative to cafeteria food that I plan to take advantage of. Take care man."

The two shook hands and Kyle headed off to his dinner break. Deeks watched him go with a frown. For some reason he felt like the nurse was keeping something from him. Putting his suspicions away, he turned and knocked on the door, opening it as soon as she called out. Walking in he held up the paper bags holding the food.

"Oh baby, I do love you! Give it here!" She reached for the bags and he handed them to her, turning to pull the table over to set up to eat. She plopped the bags down and opened the top of one with all the air of a child on Christmas morning. She breathed deep and closed her eyes, moaning in anticipation and he felt an electric shock go through his body. She could always do this to him, make his body turn molten with want. She looked up to find him staring at her and the look in his eyes wiped out all thought of the food sitting in front of her. "Marty?" Her voice was low and strangled. He moved the table out of the way, sat on the bed next to her and reached out to stroke a hand down the side of her face. She leaned into it and turned to press a kiss into his palm. It had been so long and both of them knew it would be longer still, she had a ways to go in her recovery. Still, it felt good, it felt right, it felt familiar.

He leaned in and kissed her deeply. Her hands went up around his neck and pulled him closer. Without remembering how it happened, he was suddenly lying beside her in the bed, his hands wandering as her body arched under them. The tone of a FaceTime request broke the spell. Both sighed and Deeks kissed her gently once more. He sat up and reached out to pull her phone off the bedside table. Looking at the caller id, he had to chuckle. One of their nicknames for her over the years had been Nellis-interuptus. He showed the phone to Kensi and both started to laugh. He gave her another quick kiss, a promise of things to come, and thumbed the accept. Two faces filled the screen. "Hey guys, what's up?"

Eric hadn't wanted to do this tonight, remembering their promise to keep contact to a minimum but Nell had taken the couple's request to help them out as carte blanche to call whenever she wanted, which was often. "Hey you two! How are you doing?"

"We're good. You find out anything else?"

"No, not really. On paper, Roberts doesn't seem like much of a loose cannon. We did find a couple of complaints lodged against Carrington from trainees he washed out. None of them amounted to much, the consensus being it was sour grapes. Other than that? Nothing new."

"Well, maybe that's good news? You know, maybe they aren't so bad, and this will all blow over?" Deeks said hopefully. Two disbelieving faces stared back at him. "Fine. Still, there's nothing much I can do about it." Eric opened his mouth and Deeks shut him down. "Nothing's happened to make me feel like I need to go to the team or Hetty. In fact, things have been pretty quiet here." If he'd known that Roberts had attempted to follow him home that night, he would have changed his mind immediately.

Wanting to get them off that subject, he asked about how things were going there. The two on the other end knew what he was doing but let him, as they began to tell tales of two very bored special agents and the attempts of their two superiors to keep them busy and in line. The next half hour passed with lots of laughter and the good-natured ribbing that happened between good friends. When they finally signed off, the food was gone and Kensi was yawning. She'd worked hard during the day, the work very physical as she tried to train her body to do the things it used to without a thought. He smiled as he watched her eyes open and close as she fought sleep. He cleaned up their trash and returned to the bed, sitting on the side once again, but this time only to say good night. It was way past visiting hours, but no one ever came to kick him out. He kissed her one last time and pulled the covers up as she snuggled down into the bed. He looked down at her as she lost her fight against sleep and leaned over one last time to press a kiss to the top of her head. Turning, he padded quietly out of her room, turning off the lights behind him.

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The next morning, he showed up at the coffee shop earlier than normal, only to find everyone else already there, nervous about the test they were about to take. He smiled at them as he walked up to the counter and took his normal order from Claire. "Your group's a little subdued this morning, Marty. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, thanks Claire. We all have a pretty big test today and I think everyone's feeling the pressure."

"Really? Well, good luck and tell everyone I hope they do great!"

'Thanks!" He walked to their table and smiled when his friends all waved hello. "Good morning, everyone ready for today? By the way, Claire says good luck!"

Amanda looked a little green at the thought and Charlie leaned into her, giving his support. "God, I'm so nervous about this! What if I don't pass?" She asked.

"You will. You've got this! You're going to make a great agent." Charlie replied. She didn't look convinced.

"Amanda, you have to lighten up a little. If you go in there all tense and unsure of yourself, you won't do as good as we all know you can." Phil said. She smiled gratefully at him and the talk turned away from the test and to where they would go that night for drinks. It would be the first time they'd all gone out for something other than coffee or a quick lunch and they wanted somewhere fun, where they could listen to music but still hold a conversation without having to yell. The fact that they didn't have class for two days after this one ended, added to the desire to go out and have some fun. The next class was also going to be tough as it was hand to hand combat training and the thought of some down time was attractive to all of them. Brad had done some research the night before and they finally decided on some place called Bourbon Street Bar & Grill. Decision made, they packed up and headed out, even though they were still early, none of them wanting to just hang around.

They were the first in the cleaning room when they arrived, and each opened their lockers to get their guns under the watchful eyes of Agent Henderson. The mood was quiet and when Sheppard walked in, he wasn't all that surprised. This particular test always made the trainees nervous. He waited for the rest of them to trickle in and, when they were all present, made his announcement. "Okay ladies and gentlemen, there is no set rotation for this test. You can decide the order amongst yourselves. Who'd like to go first?"

Deeks and Phil's hands shot up quickly, the only ones to do so. Sheppard laughed. "Okay, so which of you is first and which second?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. Deeks chuckled and wondered if he could pull a Sam on his friend. "Rock, paper, scissors?"

"Sure."

They faced each other and then threw. Deeks threw rock and Phil paper. Deeks crowed. "Rock tears paper, I win."

"What are you talking about? Paper covers rock, I win!"

"Nope, east coast rules."

Phil looked at him and burst out laughing. "Sam got you with that one, did he? Man, some things never change." Deeks laughed with him, knowing it had been a long shot. The group followed Sheppard into the gallery and took their seats, Phil following him into the ready room. The lights went down, and everyone tensed, knowing this was for real and could make or break some of them. Phil walked out confidently and set his stance, nodding as soon as he was ready. The test began, and he scored 100% once again. This time he turned to the window and blew across the top of his gun barrel. Inside, Roberts shook his head, wondering how many others Deeks had infected. Phil came back inside and Deeks took his place.

When he felt he was ready, he gave the nod and the test began. Breathing calmly and making sure of each shot, he once again aced the test. Turning back to the dark waiting room, he blew across the top of his gun barrel, making most in the room laugh, lightening the mood. The next to volunteer was Amanda, feeling like she just wanted to get this over with. Her friends all gave her high-fives as she walked past them to the ready room and she suddenly felt like she could do this. She geared up and took her place, taking her time until she felt ready, remembering her training and nodded. The targets turned, and she was suddenly in the zone, scoring 100% on her first time out. Turning back to the room, she too blew across the top of her gun. The rest of the class took their turn, all but Roberts mimicking Deeks's original move. Several, including Brad and Sofia had to go a second time, but eventually, all of them, including their two friends, passed with the required 90%. The whole class made their way back to the cleaning room, taking the seats that had become theirs over the last few days. Deeks sat with his group, the atmosphere jovial as they all realized it was over, they'd all passed!

Sheppard entered the room and the talk died down. "Well, I have to say I'm very proud of this class. It's rare that everyone passes. I know that some of you have helped others that haven't done as well." He looked at Deeks and Phil. "That's one of the most important lessons that can't be taught. Teamwork. While working as an agent, it's not about who scores the highest, it's about helping each other and having each other's backs. I hope that that's one of the things you take away from this course." He paused again, this time looking at Roberts who refused to acknowledge him. "Please turn in your weapons once they're cleaned and congratulations! I look forward to hearing how you all do during the rest of your training. Also, enjoy your days off. As you know, the next class is two days away. I don't envy you going through the hand to hand combat course." Deeks stood and started clapping, the rest of his group doing the same as others gradually joined in, Roberts looking sour as he followed the crowd. Sheppard grinned at them and took a bow, then motioned to Henderson, who looked nonplussed. He moved up to Sheppard's side and the clapping got louder. He blushed a bright red but looked pleased. When the clapping died down, they all sat and finished cleaning their weapons one last time. Both Sheppard and Henderson made their way around the room, approving most of them the first time around and collecting them to put aside for the next round of recruits. Only one or two had to redo their work, not through lack of diligence but relief that it was over, and they were moving on.

Once everyone in their group was done, they stood and discussed their plans for the evening. A couple others drifted by and were instantly invited. The group grew from the original seven to fifteen and Brad pulled out his cell to call and make a reservation, worried that such a large group would not be seated without one. When Sheppard walked past, the invitation was extended to him and Henderson. While he would have enjoyed joining them, Sheppard'd learned a long time ago to distance himself from the trainees. Once they all graduated, then he would consider it, for now though, he declined as did Henderson. Roberts walked by and Deeks hesitated, then offered one last olive branch. "Hey, Roberts! Some of us are doing out for drinks to celebrate, care to join us?" He wasn't hopeful and wasn't overly surprised when the man left the room without responding. He turned and met Phil's eyes. "What?"

"What, _exactly_ , did you hope to accomplish by inviting him?"

"I don't know, maybe make him realize that we're all in this together and I'm not the threat to God, country and agency that he thinks I am?"

Charlie laughed. "Sorry Marty. Don't think that's happening any time soon!"

He shrugged and they all made their way outside. There was much laughter and discussion as they broke up while exchanging directions, the mood light and almost euphoric. The cars headed out of the parking lot, horns beeping and arms waving out windows as they all headed towards their well-earned celebration. Sheppard and Henderson watched with a smile on their faces until all were gone from view. Henderson looked at his friend and said. "Pretty good group this time, gunny."

"Yeah, I agree. I think some of them well make damn good agents."

"Deeks?"

"Yeah, not sure what it is about him, but I think he's going to be one of the good ones."

"I have to agree." They smiled at each other and then went their separate ways.

On the other side of the parking lot, two others watched, no where's near as pleased with the outcome. Carrington turned to Roberts and asked. "What are you going to do about him?"

"I have a plan."

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	12. Chapter 12

A/N – Sorry for the long delay. Took a week off for my husband's birthday and went to New Orleans. Man, those are some friendly people! Had a great time! Unfortunately, work has not been so kind to me. Seems like all I do is work 10-12 hour days, get home, eat a little something, unwind in front of the tv for an hour and then hit the bed, only to get up and do it all over again the next day. Whine…

Anyway, thanks to honus47 for her beta skills and being a patient and good friend! I'll just warn you about a couple things. 1) I know nothing about fighting or anything else. I'm making some of it up as I go along, call it creative license and 2) I'm not trying to make Deeks into a superman, I'm well aware he isn't perfect. It just flows with the story and how Roberts isn't making any headway. There have been plenty of scenes on the show with him training with Kensi and the rest so I'm giving him some props for previous knowledge.

A/N2 – I know I owe a lot of people responses to reviews on this and other stories. I recently had a reviewer hit all my stories with very negative and unhelpful reviews. It got to the point where I didn't even want to open an email if it was from fanfiction and was a review. I almost just stopped writing then decided I do this for me, not for the reviews and you can either like it or not. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and has the right to voice it.

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Chapter 12

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The alarm went off and Deeks slapped the snooze button, snuggling back down into the covers. He'd deliberately set it early, so he could catch a few extra minutes of sleep, but said sleep eluded him. He rolled over onto his back and stretched, hearing a snort from the bottom of the bed. Raising his head, he had to smile at the sight of Monty tucked up against his side, lying on his back with all four legs up in the air. He knew the old dog missed Kensi but sometimes he thought the mutt enjoyed it just being the two of them again. The smile slipped a little as he thought back over the last two days. Two days without class as his next instructor wasn't due back until today from a training class in Virginia. Two whole days he should have been able to spend with Kensi, but then she'd requested he not be present at her physical therapy, stating she wanted no distractions. They'd had meals together and enjoyed the evening hours, but he worried about why she'd shut him out of her sessions. She hadn't done that back in L.A.

He sighed and gently eased himself out of the bed, not disturbing his canine friend's slumbers from long years of practice. He shut off the alarm and shuffled into the bathroom. Taking a long hot shower, he prepped for the day ahead. Today they started a week-long class on hand to hand combat. He wasn't all that worried, he'd had years of practicing with the team, to the point where he was able to hold his own against pretty much anyone, except his teammates and even then, he got lucky once in a while. Kensi had been training him in Krav Maga and Sayoc Kali for years and he'd been on the receiving end of a shock knife more than once. Callen and Sam had expanded his training in MMA fighting and he'd had a few quiet classes on his own, especially after meeting Thapa. Add in his own street fighting knowledge from growing up amidst gangs and he would put his odds at pretty high to win most fights, especially if fair play were taken out of it. Still, he wasn't going to take anything for granted. He'd learned the hard way that pride went before a fall.

He dressed in sweats and a t-shirt in preparation for that day's class, and nudged Monty awake, taking him out for his morning walk and then giving him breakfast. He watched for a minute, gratified that the old pup was still putting away his food with youthful abandon. He knew they were approaching the end game, but he held out hope that it wouldn't come for several years, at least. He wished the dog a good day and locked the apartment door behind him. He exited the back door and made his roundabout way to his car, not letting up on his diligence that Roberts might be following him. He'd seen no sign of him, but the younger man had creeped him out enough that he kept up his trade craft, maybe for nothing more than the training, but it made him feel better. Once on the highway, he relaxed a little but didn't stop checking his mirrors. When he pulled into the Starbucks, he got out and stretched, realizing his muscles were tense and he found himself angry that this was happening to him at this point in his life. He should be paying attention in class, learning new things and enjoying the friendships he was developing. Not worrying about some judgmental agent or the watch dog he'd sicced on him. He strode into the store and instantly relaxed when he caught sight of most of his new gang sitting around their regular table. He smirked at how different they all looked in the casual clothes that were appropriate for a course in fighting. If he knew anything about this type of class, it was that they were all going to get hot, sweaty and dirty, maybe with a bit of blood thrown in for good measure, by the end of the day.

He walked up to the counter and was surprised to find Claire missing. He asked for her and was glad to hear she'd just taken a day off. He gave his order to the new girl and made his way to his friends once he'd picked up his coffee.

"Well, look who the cat dragged in!" Phil said with a smile.

Smiling back, Deeks sat down and took a deep swig from his drink. Somehow, it wasn't as good as when Claire made it, still, the caffeine felt good as it made his way into his system. "Hey! I'm not late. Besides, it looks like I'm not even the last one here. I don't see Charlie and Amanda yet."

Phil laughed. "Those two will stroll through the door together any minute. Bets?"

Deeks, John and Sofia gave a resounding no, while Brad looked interested. Deeks nudged him under the table and when Brad looked his way, he mouthed. "Sucker bet." They both smiled, and Phil had no takers, even though he continued to make outrageous offers, knowing no one was going to take him up on it. The doors to the shop opened and the two missing members of their troop walked in, together as expected. What wasn't expected was that neither was smiling. They both quietly got their coffees and made their way over to the table.

"What's up with you two? You both look like you lost your best friend." Deeks said.

The two looked at each other and, after some unspoken agreement, Charlie looked at him and said. "Look, it's probably nothing, but I think I've been followed a few times before but definitely over the last couple of days. Same car kept showing up, driver was a white male but that's all I could tell. He wore sunglasses and a ball cap, pulled down low. He slouched in the seat, so I couldn't even tell if he was short or tall."

Phil tensed up. "You think it was Roberts?"

"Maybe." Amanda replied. "At first, I thought Charlie was imagining things, but then I started seeing it in different places we went over the last two days, myself."

"If it _is_ Roberts, then that doesn't really make sense." John said. "It's Marty he has it in for, why would he be tailing you two?"

Deeks sighed. This was something he'd been afraid of, that Roberts would latch onto one of his friends when he couldn't get to Deeks. He replied. "Actually, it does make sense. Because he wasn't able to follow me, he must've decided to follow Charlie to see if he'd lead him to me. I don't think he realizes I live so far away. Most everyone else in class has a place close by."

"And why wasn't he able to follow you?" Phil asked. Six pairs of eyes focused on him to see what the answer was.

Deeks squirmed a little, wondering how he was going to explain this one. John beat him to it. "You take different routes going home every night, don't you? You park away from your apartment building, don't go in the front door…"

Phil laughed and then it petered out when he realized Marty wasn't laughing. "You do all that?" He asked.

"Yeah, I do. I gotta tell you guys, he really worried me that one night I saw him watching me drive away. Since then, I get off the highway at different exits. A couple of times I slid over to the exit with just barely enough time to make it off the highway, watching to see if anyone follows me. I drive around my block, watching my mirrors. I park in front of a different building every night. I'm lucky, it's mostly apartment buildings in that area and several interconnect through the back parking lots. I park in front of one of the others and walk to my own building through the back. I don't go in my building until I know for sure that there's no one watching me. Even then, I wait a couple minutes right inside the door. I know it sounds paranoid, but it doesn't hurt anything and it's good training. You know we're required to take Offensive Driving in a couple weeks." He was kind of hoping to shift their attention to something other than someone following him and what he was doing to avoid it, but no luck.

"Dude, where did you learn this stuff?" Charlie asked.

"Movies?" He took a chance.

"Ha! I bet his federal agent girlfriend taught him!" Sofia chimed in.

Deeks laughed. "Yeah, Kensi has taught me a lot over the years. Some through actual training, some just through osmosis. I pick things up from watching her."

Brad leaned forward, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Deeks. "Are you saying we'll all become that paranoid over time? Or does your girlfriend work some kind of black ops?"

Deeks blinked a couple times, knowing he couldn't tell any of them just how close Brad had to come to the truth. About Kensi and about him. He forced out a laugh. "The only black ops Kensi is a part of, usually has to do with cooking. Whatever she puts in the oven, comes out black and ends up in the trash!" It wasn't a total lie, the woman couldn't cook to save her life and, technically, Ops really wasn't considered _black_ ops, not really.

They all laughed, and the mood lightened. When they got up to head to class, Phil held back a little and let Deeks take the lead. Looking at the others, he said quietly. "We all take care from now on. There's no way in hell one of us is going to lead Roberts to Marty's home. I don't know if he'd actually hurt Marty to get him out of the program. So far, he's only tried to discredit him, but I'm not taking any chances. Nothing he's done has worked. In fact, Marty usually comes out better off each time Roberts messes up. Who knows what might push the guys buttons to send him off the deep edge." Five heads nodded solemnly, and they continued out the door to find Deeks waiting for them suspiciously.

"Took you guys long enough."

"I left my purse under the table and had to go get it. Everyone waited for me. You were too far ahead to hear me say I was going back." Amanda said. Charlie's eyebrows shot up at the blithe lie that fell from her lips with no effort. She saw and winked at him with the eye facing away from Deeks, who wasn't buying it for a second, although he let them think he did. He knew they were worried and had most likely had a quick conversation to be more careful. He was honored that they wanted to protect him, he just wished there was no reason.

The group broke up and headed to their cars, Charlie and Amanda no longer even making a pretense that they hadn't come in together as they both got in the same car. Deeks smiled and then noticed John gallantly opening her car door for Sofia, who blushed and said something that he assumed was thank you as she slid gracefully in. John shut the door once he was sure she was settled and made his way to his own car, a silly grin on his face. He chuckled. Who knew federal agent training was a good place to meet someone? His matchmaking inclination kicked in and he started going through the remaining female trainees in his head, trying to find someone for Brad. That exercise kept him busy until they reached the training center.

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Roberts had made it a point to get to class early. He wanted to chat up the instructor, try to work some charm on him before Deeks got in and did whatever he did that blinded others to his obvious shortcomings. He was surprised to find a petite woman in the gym, organizing things and decided she must be some kind of assistant. Ignoring her as not worth his time, he moved around the room, checking out some of the different kinds of equipment laid out. He had a good feeling about this class. He was a black belt in karate and he was pretty sure he could wipe the floor with anyone in this class, including the instructor. If he ever showed up. He'd told Special Agent Carrington he had a plan and he did. Deeks was going to leave this gym in an ambulance if he had anything to do with it. Accidents happened. He wouldn't hurt him bad, just enough that he wouldn't be able to continue this course and SA Carrington would have time to find something on him that would preclude him from being able to sign up again.

The rest of the class started to arrive, and he was frustrated that the instructor hadn't shown up yet. He'd have to try and make nice during the day, maybe dazzle him with his fighting expertise. His chest puffed up a little as he pictured himself as the one being praised and held up as the gold standard, instead of Deeks or Johnstone. Speaking of which, the posse that Deeks surrounded himself with made their way into the room. He sneered a little at the thought that the man needed sycophants around him to make himself look and feel better, not understanding that the members of said posse had become true friends. Friends were rare in his life and the ones he made never seemed to stick around. The thought that he was to blame for driving them away, never crossed his mind. The fault always lay with the other person, not him.

People milled around, groups forming and shifting as they waited for class to start. He watched as Deeks's group offered to help the assistant finish setting up. Something she took advantage of, letting others do her work for her. He might just mention that to the instructor, could get him brownie points. At nine on the nose, the petite assistant put her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. All talking stopped and there was dead silence as everyone looked at her in surprise.

"Listen up, people. My name is Special Agent Christine MacDougall and I will be your instructor in hand to hand combat. During this class you will learn how to fight with just your hands, how to disarm an opponent who is attacking you with a weapon, such as a pipe, a gun, a knife or any other object, with the intent of harming you and escaping. You will learn to defend yourself from attack and to go on the offensive without damaging a suspect. At all times you must remember to try to take your suspect in alive. However, if your life is in danger, you will be taught how to kill using your bare hands."

A snort sounded from within the crowd and MacDougall heard it. "Do we have a problem?" A hand went up tentatively from one of the female trainees. "Yes, Ms….?"

"Selina Littlehale, ma'am."

"Did you have a question?"

"Yes ma'am." Selina looked around at the smirking men surrounding her. "No offense, but how can someone your size hope to take on any of the men in this class? Or for any of us women, for that matter. Ma'am."

"You can call me Agent MacDougall or Mac, I don't answer to ma'am."

"Yes, ma'a….Agent MacDougall."

"Would anyone care to hazard a guess as to the answer to Trainee Littlehale's question?" Deeks waited and no hands went up, so he sighed and raised his. "Yes, Mr…?"

"It's Marty Deeks, Mac. I answer to Deeks or Marty."

"Very well, Deeks. How would you answer the question? Or do you have one of your own?" Mac was used to trainees underestimating her. By the time they left her class, she would have disabused them of that habit. Never underestimate an opponent. It could get you killed.

"My answer would be, leverage, surprise, training, experience and being a good observer. Also, taunting."

"A good observer?" She seized on the first unexpected response to begin with.

"If you can quickly learn your opponent's tells and proclivities, it becomes easier to evade him or her and get in more hits of your own. That levels the playing field."

"So, Deeks, you believe someone of my size could take down someone like you?"

"Not only do I believe it, I've had it happen. More times than I want to admit." He laughed a little, thinking of all the times Kensi had pinned him in seconds. While she was not petite, the few times he'd gone up against Nell, she'd taken him down more than half the time. Smaller opponents didn't equate to easy wins.

Mac smiled at him. "What was the gender and height of the opponent who's taken you down?"

"Female, shade over 5 feet." Several of the group laughed and Deeks smiled, not humiliated at all. He was proud of Nell and how good an agent she was. "You can laugh, but until you've had just slightly over 5 feet of red headed fury aimed at you, you'll never understand."

"And, would you fight back if your opponent is a woman, Deeks?" Mac was curious.

"Yes, I would. If my life or someone else's were in danger? Gender would have no importance. A woman is just as deadly as a man. Sometimes more so."

"Very well. Now, would you care to explain taunting?"

"Trying to get your opponent mad, make them make a mistake you can take advantage of, distract them. You just need to be sure you don't talk yourself into a mistake as well."

Mac inclined her head. "Thank you. Now, how many of you have had training in some type of fighting discipline?" Several hands went up, including Deeks, Phil and Roberts. "Good. Now, as we work through the different skills I need to teach you, Agent Henderson here will be my partner." She gestured towards the silent agent that no one had noticed had entered the gym at some point. He smiled and nodded. "Agent Henderson will spar with me as I step through the best ways to subdue your opponent with doing the least amount of damage. At the end of each demonstration, you will be paired up with a fellow trainee and will be evaluated on how well you succeed. In all cases, there has to be a winner and a loser. There will be no shame in losing to your opponent, as long as you use the skills I'll be teaching you. Remember that your goal is not to beat him, or her…" She smiled at the class. "…into a bloody pulp. Nor is it to kill them. Your goal is to take the person into custody, either to stand trial for their crimes or for the information they may have that could stop anything from an assassination to the theft of information that would be harmful to this country. A dead suspect is of no use to anyone. Deadly force, similar to what you learned in your sessions with Agent Sheppard, is only to be used as a last resort and only if your life, or someone else's, is in danger. I'm sure most, if not all, of you, have seen the movie Road House where Patrick Swayze rips out a man's throat with his bare hands. It's not an exaggeration. Someone well trained can do exactly that."

"Over the next few days, you will be fighting against an opponent who will be either be armed only with their bare fists or some other implement. While a gun or a knife is the most common weapon you will be up against, a pipe or a piece of wood can be just as deadly, especially when your opponent is desperate. We'll begin with hand to hand. Several of you indicated that you had training in some form of fighting. There are many disciplines, none better than the other, although I'm sure most will tell you the one they're trained in is the best in the world. Some you will have heard of, such as Karate, Judo or Ju-Jitsu, some are more uncommon such as Krav Maga, which was developed in Israel and combines the techniques of several disciplines. To be fully trained in any one of these would take years. To be fully trained in all is impossible. All you can do is learn what you can and, as Mr. Deeks stated earlier, pay attention to your opponent."

"If you notice that your opponent tends to lead with his right, that gives you an edge. If they always make a particular move before swinging a punch, that's a tell and gives you an edge. When you are up against a stronger combatant, an edge could mean the different between winning and losing. Unfortunately, there will be times where you may be up against someone who is just better at fighting than you. In that case, you will need to learn the best ways to protect the more vulnerable parts of your body, such as your head. One good blow to the head and your chances go down significantly. Now, if you will all take a seat on the floor around this mat, we'll begin." Henderson quietly joined her on the mat.

Everyone shuffled around and took a seat in a rough circle around the two agents. When all were settled, Mac turned to Henderson and raised her hands as he followed suit. During the next several hours, the two agents went through several forms of offense and defense, in a well choreographed and obviously familiar dance, as Mac explained what they were doing and why. When they finished they bowed to each other. Deeks had paid close attention, recognizing some of the moves but learning new ones from the instructors. He also noticed a look between the two as Henderson left the mat and he found himself wondering if there was a deeper relationship between them, something more than co-workers and he smiled. He liked Henderson and had already decided he liked Mac. He hoped it was more than just his own romantic leanings.

"Please stand. I am now going to pair you up and assign you to groups. Group A will go first, with Group B following. You will all be wearing head gear and gloves. Remember what you've just seen and learned. The fight is over once your opponent is pinned to the mat. Also, remember that this is a training class. Again, please refrain from trying to kill each other." Mac lifted an eyebrow and the class laughed as they made their way to their feet, several stretching as sitting on the floor for so long had left them stiff and not a few of them with numb butts. Deeks was sure his yoga sessions with Kensi had helped him escape most of the kinks he was noticing others trying to work out. Still, sitting quietly for so long was an exercise in torture for him and he jogged in place to get the blood flowing again and drain off some of his built-up agitation. Mac started moving around the room, deliberately pairing smaller trainees with some of the larger ones. When Deeks found himself paired with Amanda in Group B, he grinned at her.

"What are you grinning at Marty?" She danced around him a little, playfully aiming small punches at him. "Oh yeah, you're going down mister!" He watched her moves and realized she knew what she was doing, then remembered she'd said her dad was a retired marine and he was sure he'd taught his little girl how to defend herself as well as how to shoot a gun. He was definitely not going to underestimate her.

Once everyone in Group A was appropriately geared up, Mac nodded at the pairs set up on different mats and raised her hand. "You may begin." Each of the paired trainees began to circle each other, none wanting to make the first move. "This is a fight ladies and gentlemen, not a dance!" She and Henderson roamed the room, watching the fights intently. Phil had been paired with John and had him on the mat in seconds. He helped the younger man up and began to give him pointers, Mac nodding her head in approval. Roberts had been paired with Sofia and looked disgusted. He aimed a couple ham handed swipes at her, figuring he didn't need to waste his energy on fighting the smaller woman in front of him. When she easily evaded him and got in a couple punches of her own, he started to get angry and waded in, which was when she got under a punch and swept his legs out from under, pinning him to the mat. She stood up and raised her hands in triumph. While she wasn't looking, Roberts punched at the back of her knees, making her fall heavily. Deeks's hands fisted at his side and he started towards them, as did the rest of their crew, but Mac got there first.

"Mr. Roberts, apparently you don't understand simple instructions. When you are pinned, you have lost. Taking down your opponent after being pinned does not change the results. Let this be your first, and last, warning. Another stunt like that and you'll be expelled from this program. Am I understood?"

Roberts got up and swallowed his anger and humiliation. "Yes, Agent MacDougall. My apologies. I got caught up in the moment. It won't happen again." He managed to look contrite, while inside he seethed.

"Very well." Mac turned and looked at the rest of the class as everyone had stopped their training to watch. "Let this be an object lesson to all of you. In real life, your opponent will only have one of two things on their minds. To escape you or to harm you. Do not expect him or her to fight fair. Do not assume that once down, they won't get up again. A second one is to not let outside events distract you. Each of you stopped what you were doing to watch what was going on. In a real fight, being distracted like that will give your opponent a huge advantage. You need to be aware of your surroundings but not stop to watch like a rubbernecker. Now, please return to your partners."

The fights continued until Mac and Henderson were satisfied. Even Roberts behaved. The next group took their places. Deeks and Amanda circled each other warily. She feinted and he dodged, he feinted and she dodged, both of them watching for an opening. A minute or so later, Deeks saw one and took it, only to realize at the last moment that he'd been played. He looked up from the mat at a triumphant Amanda and grinned. "You're one sneaky little marine brat." She laughed, leaned down and offered her hand. Playfully, he took it and pulled her down on top of him as she was off balance. She giggled down at him, flushed with success.

"Mr. Deeks! Apparently, you don't listen well either. This will be your first and last warning as well." Mac was beside the mat and frowning down at him, disappointed.

Amanda rose to his defense. "Please, Agent MacDougall, we're friends, it was all in good fun. Marty didn't mean anything by it."

"That doesn't matter Amanda, Mac is right. I broke the rules and shouldn't have pulled you down. You won, fair and square and I deserve the warning." Deeks looked up at the agent and sighed, giving her his best apologetic look. He should have known better and was kicking himself for giving into some fun during a serious training exercise. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Mac turned, suppressing the grin that wanted to break out. He looked like a puppy who'd just done something he knew was wrong and was trying to wheedle his way out of trouble. She'd watched the trainees and knew the two were friends, but she couldn't allow horseplay during class, it was distracting. She went back to watching the others fight. Deeks and Amanda got up and squared off again.

"Show me what you just did?" He asked and she looked pleased. Moving slowly through the last moves they'd made, she showed him his mistake and how to counter it. "Your dad taught you well!"

"Wasn't just my dad. We moved around a lot when I was growing up, different bases, different countries. I was around a lot of soldiers and they were all…determined I could hold my own in a fight. One of the guys on base in Germany had a sister who'd been beaten up pretty bad by one of her boyfriends, she almost died. Ended up losing most of her sight in her right eye. Abusive relationship. She didn't know how to defend herself and he was determined it wouldn't happen to anyone else. He held a class on self-defense and most of the girls on base took it. I was bummed when my dad was reassigned, I really enjoyed it."

"I can see." He rubbed his backside and moaned a little. She laughed and punched him lightly in the arm and they began sparring again.

Once both agents were satisfied, Mac broke up the teams into pairs that were closer in size and shape. Deeks and Phil were paired, as were Amanda and Sofia. The others were paired with people outside their group, none of them with Roberts, which suited them all just fine. Mac clapped her hands and said. "We'll break for lunch, be back here in one hour, pair up with your new partner and we'll finish up for the day." There were several groans from around the room as the trainees made their way out of the room, pulling off their gear some limping a little. Deeks's group gathered and shared stories about things they'd learned from who they'd been paired with. Somehow, he wasn't all that surprised when Selina Littlehale joined them with Brad. The two had been paired up and seemed to be getting along well.

"Okay, kiddies, thinking we eat at the mess hall today. I, for one, don't want to get into my car as hot and sweaty as I am. Plus, I'm pretty sure none of the local establishments will want us stinking up their places." Deeks laughed. They all agreed and made their way towards the main building where the cafeteria was. Roberts watched them go, still smarting from being taken down by that little twit Sofia, more than once. He'd learned his lesson the first time and didn't try to retaliate once she had him down. Still, the times he'd pinned her, he'd been a little extra…firm. He hoped she'd be nursing bruises tonight. He turned his attention to Deeks and wondered when he'd be paired with him. From what he could see, the instructors were going to make sure they all had a chance to face off with each other. When it was finally his turn, he'd make his move and Deeks would no longer be a problem.

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	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

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The afternoon training session went as expected. This time there were no groups, everyone was sparring at the same time. It was geared towards teaching them about distractions as the other fights took place around them. Deeks took down Phil, Phil took down Deeks as they both learned from each other. It was the same around the room as the partners were better matched. Roberts had settled down and used his karate expertise to come out on top of most of his sessions, although not all and that irked him to no end. Everyone was dragging when Mac finally called it quits for the day.

"Good job ladies and gentlemen. You've earned your weekend off. We'll see you back here on Monday morning where we will begin to use things other than our hands." There were groans around the room. "If you think today was hard, you have no idea what's in store for you next week. This will be the most exhausting class you will take, but it will, hopefully, keep you alive out in the field. We're not here to make you miserable. There will come a time in most of your careers that you'll thank us for what we teach you during these sessions. There will be times when you won't have the chance to draw your service weapon or it would not be advisable due to the circumstances. Your hands will always be with you, at least I hope so. Now, PLEASE, hit the showers. You all stink." That got the laugh she was looking for as everyone divested themselves of their gear, picked up their bags and headed towards the locker rooms for a shower.

Everyone was too tired to indulge in any kind of play fighting when they got there, all just wanting to sluice off the sweat and, in some cases, blood, change into clean clothes and head home to drop into a nice soft bed, some even deciding that dinner would be too much effort. Deeks and Phil were the last and left together, to find their friends waiting. John raised an eyebrow and smirked. "All clean and sparkly now?"

The others gaped at the usually quiet man and he blushed, wondering if he'd made a mistake at trying to tease. This kind of camaraderie was new to him. Then Deeks grinned and slapped him on the shoulder. "Very funny, ha ha ha. We just happen to hold ourselves to a higher standard of cleanliness, that's all." He sniffed at John. "You could use a higher standard." John stared at him and wasn't sure if he was being teased back, when Deeks winked. He smiled and felt a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. This was what it was like to have friends. He felt someone touch him on the arm and looked down to find Sofia's hand tucked into his elbow.

"You ready to head out?" She asked.

"Um, sure." He turned, and they walked with the group, her hand never leaving his arm. The others watched with hidden smiles and discreetly left some room around them. None of them missed the fact that Brad and Selina walked together as well. When they reached the parking lot, Deeks stretched and felt his muscles yammer at him. Sparring and training were common at OSP but only between jobs and not for as long as they'd gone at it today. Even he was tired and sore. He'd had worse when the fights were real and the person beating on him wasn't wearing gloves or fighting fair, but it was a different tired and sore. He felt good about how the day had gone, even with his faux pas with Mac and Amanda. He'd learned a lot of new moves and couldn't wait to try them on his team and he was hoping to learn even more over the next days of classes. He practically rubbed his hands in anticipation.

Phil was exhausted and just wanted to go home, talk to his wife and kids and fall into a dreamless sleep. He yawned and said. "Okay, you guys. I've had it. I'm going to sleep all weekend. See you guys on Monday?" A chorus of 'yeah's and 'you bet's met him. He turned to Selina. "You know the Starbucks down the street?"

"Yes."

"Good, we meet there about an hour before class every day. We'll see you there Monday morning?"

She smiled at him and nodded. Brad gave him a grateful look and followed her to her car, opening the door just as John did the same for Sofia. Amanda and Charlie stumbled to his car and got in, waving as they left the parking lot. The rest did the same until it was just Deeks and Phil. Phil shook his head. "I know I've said this before, but man I feel old."

Deeks clapped him on the back. "Dude, we're not old, we're…experienced."

Phil snorted and cracked his neck. "Yeah, experienced. Sure." He turned and smiled. "See you Monday?"

"Of course."

"Good. Say hi to Kensi for me!"

"Same to Christine and the kids."

"Will do." He turned away and then turned back. "Marty, be careful. I don't like the fact that Charlie and Amanda were followed. Did you see the look on Roberts's face when Sofia took him down? He was furious, and he had every intention of hurting her when he knocked her legs out from under her when her back was turned. That's a dirty fighter and I don't like it."

Deeks sighed. "Neither do I, my friend, neither do I. I'll continue to be as careful as I have been. Promise me you'll do the same?"

"Yeah. You know, I've said it before and I'll say it again, most likely there's going to come a time when you're going to have to report this."

"And as I've said before and will say again. Report what? That my friends believe they were followed by someone they didn't recognize and can't definitively say was him? That my gun was tampered with, but we have no proof about who did it? That we just don't like each other? That's not much. On the positive side, Cora and Sheppard are aware and from what I've seen? Mac isn't going to allow _any_ skullduggery in her class."

Phil snorted. "Did you just say skullduggery?"

"I did. Would you have preferred chicanery? Monkeyshines? Shenanigans?"

"Jeez, you're a walking thesaurus."

"I'm well read."

"Uh huh." They both laughed and then Phil sobered. "Okay, see you Monday. Watch your back."

"Always. Enjoy your weekend, even if you mean to squander it on sleeping it away."

Phil shook his head. "Squander. Well, if nothing else, I'll be a well-spoken federal agent when we're done."

"Very funny. I'm going." Deeks turned and got in his car, waving at his friend as he got into his. Heading home, he was as careful as always, once again catching no one following him.

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Monday morning found all of them refreshed and ready for the next class. Deeks had spent most of the weekend with Kensi and had enjoyed their time together. He'd taken her out to the park again and her eyes had sparkled as they wandered along, making him feel ten feet tall. His girl was getting stronger and they were both cautiously optimistic about her future, their future. If only he didn't have the duo of Carrington and Roberts looking over his shoulder. He wandered into the Starbucks and was happy to find Claire behind the register once again. He walked up, and she handed him his coffee. He took a sip and smiled, this was more like it. "You know, we missed you on Friday. The other girl was nice and all, but she just didn't make it quite the way I like."

Claire grinned at him. "Glad to hear." She looked around, the store was quiet, and no one was waiting, so she pulled a box out of her apron. "I was hoping you'd be here today. I brought this in to show you." She snapped it open to show a small but exquisite diamond nestled in the black velvet of the box. "What do you think?" She had no idea why she wanted his approval, but she did.

"Claire. It's beautiful! Does this mean you're going to pop the question?" Deeks ran a finger over the ring. It reminded him a little of the one he'd bought Kensi, a ring that had come to Georgia with him, and he thought she'd like this one too.

Claire nodded. "We're going out to celebrate our anniversary tonight and I thought it would be a perfect time. I have it all planned, I just hope she says yes."

"I'm sure she will. You'll let me know tomorrow how it went?"

"You bet!" They smiled at each other and Claire carefully closed the box and stowed it away in her apron again. Deeks raised his coffee cup in salute and she took an empty, clinking it against his. Dropping his money on the counter, he sauntered over to the group, noting the seating arrangements. Except for him and Phil, the others were obviously paired off. He sat in the empty seat next to his friend, who leaned over and put his head on Deeks's shoulder.

"I missed you this weekend." The rest of the group stared at him in shock until both burst into laughter. Phil looked at them. "What? I was feeling left out."

"You're married, dude, and he's got a girlfriend." Charlie said.

"Ah, well, I guess it's just not meant to be then." They all laughed and settled in to discuss what they'd learned and what they thought was on tap for that day. The tiredness and soreness of Friday was a distant memory, and all were looking forward to the day's lessons, agreeing that they liked Mac and were impressed with her.

Brad shook his head. "Who would have thought that such a tiny woman could wipe the floor with anyone of us in class?" Deeks raised his hand. "Well, sure, you've experienced it. Speaking of which, what does the slightly more than five foot read headed fury do for work?"

Deeks was prepared this time. "She's an analyst." While Nell was also an agent, analyst was her first and foremost occupation at OSP and she was one of the best.

"An analyst. For who?"

"I could tell but then I'd have to kill you." He joked.

Sofia narrowed her eyes at him. "She's NCIS too, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she's also one of Kensi's best friends. Scary smart and good at her job."

"And you guys fight?"

"We spar on occasion. Kensi's taught her some things and she likes to try them out on me. Usually, that ends with me flat on my back."

Sofia smirked. "Good to hear."

"I get her sometimes too." He mock glared back at her.

"Where do you guys spar?" Charlie asked.

"Gym." He didn't say which one and they were getting into dangerous territory. "So, what did everyone do for the weekend?" Talk turned to various outings and it didn't escape anyone's notice that Sofia and John had similar stories, although neither admitted to doing those things together. Charlie and Amanda were past that stage and ended up finishing each other's sentences, much to the amusement of their friends. When it was time to go, they all got up and headed for the door, some good-natured pushing and shoving going on to prep them for the day. Deeks was the last one out and turned back to catch Claire's eyes. When he did, he gave her the thumbs up sign and she crossed her fingers in response.

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The gym was set up much as it had been the day before, although this time there were more items strewn around. Deeks recognized the fighting sticks that he and Kensi used sometimes. Before he'd had his meltdown and quit, Hetty had been giving him some private lessons after she saw her liaison continually knocked down by his partner. Sam and Callen were both proficient but weren't all the interested, preferring to spar with fists or knives. Kensi, however, loved it. He'd gotten good enough to give her a run for her money and she'd been suspicious of his leap in ability. He'd never admitted to Hetty's tutelage though, loving keeping her guessing.

When everyone was settled, Mac walked to the center mat with two of the sticks in her hands. "Today we'll be learning how to stick fight. Stick fighting is part of many martial arts training. It teaches hand eye coordination and was developed as a safer way to train with dangerous weapons such as, say, a sword. This training will be helpful in a fight with anything similar, such as a length of wood. Many times, your opponent's weapon will be that of opportunity. Whatever he or she can pick up on the spur of the moment." She paused. "It will also hurt less than if we let you loose on each other with a steel pipe." Several people looked a little green around the edges.

"Has anyone stick fought before?" Deeks's hand was the only one that went up and several people shook their heads. His friends figured out why quickly as they understood that some of the others were starting to wonder about him. He saw the looks and swallowed, wondering if he should have just kept his mouth shut. Mac broke in on his thoughts. "Deeks, would you like to come up and spar with me?" His mouth dropped open and a couple trainees sniggered, Roberts among them as he thought the idiot was about to get his. Maybe he wouldn't need to put his plan into action after all, Deeks would do it for him. Standing up, Deeks moved to the mat and accepted the stick Mac handed to him. They both put on their head gear and it started.

She took the beginning stance and he instinctively took his. Hetty had drilled the different traditions into his head and recognized the form Mac took. He also knew he'd have to use everything Hetty and Kensi had taught him. Mac nodded and said. "Very good. Let's begin." With that she struck out at him on his right side and he countered. They circled each other for a moment before he struck out quickly and scored a hit on her leg. She stepped back and smiled. "Okay then, the gloves are off." They proceeded to spar, neither one able to get an edge on the other as the sound of the sticks cracking together filled the room. The rest of the class watched in fascination as they danced around, fighting hard, scoring hits but neither going down. He followed his own advice and watched her carefully. Eventually, he noticed that she tended to dip her right shoulder before going for his legs with her left. The next time he saw it, he was prepared and countered, spinning around to swipe her legs out from under her and she went down. There was a collective gasp from the watching trainees and Deeks felt his heart sink. Of all times to get into the groove, this was probably not the best one. He'd just taken out their teacher and now he'd have another one gunning for his head.

Surprisingly, Mac was grinning up at him from the floor and held up her hand. He took it and pulled her to her feet where she bowed to him and he immediately bowed back. Turning to the class, Mac wiped the sweaty strands of her hair that had escaped her ponytail, off her forehead. "And that, ladies and gentlemen, was a stick fight." She turned back to him. "Well fought, Deeks, well fought. If you wouldn't mind, I could use some help with the next part of the training."

He could feel Roberts's glare drilling into the back of his head, but his friends were all smiles and Phil held up both hands with the fingers up, except one thumb that he folded down, giving him a 9.5. He had to chuckle and then tilted his head at her. "Agent Henderson?" He figured the other agent was probably her normal partner in this part of the training.

"Stefan had other duties this morning."

"Okay, if you'd like, but I'm sure there are many more things you could teach me."

"I'm sure there are, but that would be for a more advanced class. Today we do the basics and I'm confident you have them all down. Shall we go through the forms?" Deeks nodded and they faced off against each other, this time only going through the various stances, her calling out one and him countering it as she named it. When they finished, Mac turned to the watching trainees. "Each move had a counter move but it's not a one for one, it depends on the situation. What might work one time, will not work the next. You need to gauge your opponent and decide how you want to respond. You won't be expected to memorize them all, that would take more time than we have here. We'll go through them one more time and then break up into pairs." She turned back to him. "Again." They did the same forms, but in a different order. When they were done, she smiled at him. "Thank you Deeks, you can join the others." Softer she said, low enough for only him to hear her. "I'd like you to stay after class, if you don't mind." He looked at her worriedly and she smirked. "You're not in trouble."

He nodded and moved back to take his place on the floor with his friends, taking the stick with him. Phil and Charlie clapped him on the back, Phil wrinkling his nose and shaking out his hand. "Ewww. You're all sweaty." That broke his tension and he laughed, feeling a little better. Mac walked around the room, pairing people up. Deeks was paired with someone he hadn't worked with before and was dismayed to see the fear on his face.

Deciding to grab the bull by the horns, he stuck out his hand and said. "Marty Deeks. You can call me Deeks or Marty."

The man blinked and shook it. "Tony Forrester."

"Good to meet you Tony. Try not to hurt me too much?"

Tony laughed a little. "After what I just saw, I'll be happy to go home tonight in one piece."

"Nah, if you pay attention, you'll do just fine."

"If you say so." They nodded and waited for the rest of the class to prepare. When everyone had their head gear on and a stick, Mac began to call out the forms again. Some just stood and looked confused while others made an attempt at what they thought was the right one. Several actually got it correct. Deeks walked Tony through each one, the other man mirroring his moves and becoming more confident as he started to get it. When they'd spent almost an hour moving through the basics, attack and defense, Mac called a halt.

"Very good, many of you are getting the hang of it. Now, let's see what you do when you're up against an opponent who isn't telling you what he's about to do. I need all of you to listen to me. Do NOT hit hard, this is sparring only, and you don't want to injure your partner. A simple tap is good enough. Begin."

The sound of wood meeting wood again filled the room. Deeks and Tony faced off and began to spar, Deeks quietly calling out corrections until Tony was holding his own. When Mac called time, Tony was grinning from ear to ear. "I think I got it, I think I actually got it! I can't wait to go home and take on my older brothers. Time for some payback."

Deeks smiled. "Just remember, the more you train, the more you learn, the more dangerous you can become. Don't get in over your head and hurt someone."

"That's good advice Mr. Forrester. People with marital arts training become a weapon in their own right. If you don't temper it with good common sense and discipline, you could accidentally hurt someone badly and then have to deal with the fallout." Mac was standing behind Deeks, startling him. She grinned, knowing she'd gotten him and then turned to class. "Lunch break. This afternoon we'll continue with different partners. I'll leave it as a surprise for when you get back. Please leave your gear where you are and remember where it is. You'll want to use the same for this afternoon's session. Each stick has its own weight and balance. You'll want to _stick_ with the one you've become familiar with." Laughter filled the room and they followed her instructions.

Phil wandered up. "Mess hall?"

"Yeah." Deeks lifted an arm and pretended to sniff. "I'm not actually sure they'll let me in today." He turned and motioned Tony forward. "Tony, this is Phil. Phil, Tony. You want to join us for lunch?"

"Thanks for the offer, but I've made some friends here and we usually eat together. I'll catch you at the afternoon session?" Tony asked.

"Sure, see you then." Tony walked over to his friends and Deeks turned to Phil who was shaking his head. "What?"

"You collect people like others collect stamps. Come on, your collection is starving and wants food, now."

"I do not collect people, I'm just naturally friendly." He knew he sounded defensive.

"And you always want to be sure no one's left out. That's not a bad thing, Marty. Now, come on, food!" They joined their group and headed out, comparing stories and newly formed bruises. Everyone was animated as they'd all done fairly well. Roberts wasn't mentioned but Deeks had kept an eye on the man. He'd also done well and Deeks suspected some martial arts training, remembering that his hand had been one of those that had gone up yesterday when Mac had asked who had had some form of training. He was glad, he didn't need the other man in the same bad mood as he'd been in after weapons class. They arrived at the Mess Hall and noticed that others were giving them a wide berth.

"I think they knew we were coming before we got here." Charlie joked.

"Must be you." Deeks replied. Charlie gave him a push and they all laughed. Getting their food, they all dug in, hungry from the activity of the morning and no one really talking. When they finished, Selina let out a loud burp and Deeks couldn't help himself. "Sweet!" She grinned at him and everyone smiled. Getting up, they disposed of their trash and headed out, meeting up with Tony and his friends as they were leaving. The two groups merged, and the talk was lively as names and experiences were exchanged. When they arrived back at the gym, they went their separate ways, settling back into their original spaces.

Mac walked in with Henderson at her side. "Welcome back, glad to see you all decided to return. This afternoon you will once again be paired up with someone who is of different size and stature. Remember that this doesn't mean you're being handed an easy victory." She quickly paired everyone up and Deeks was pleased to find himself face to face with Sofia.

"You ready for a beatdown Marty?"

"What is it with you women? Why do you all want to beat me up?" He asked plaintively.

"It's not just you, we want to beat up all men."

"What? Did you just let me in on some big female secret?"

"Yup, and now I'll have to kill you."

"Uh huh. Great." He raised an eyebrow and she smirked at him.

Mac stood at the front and said. "Okay, you're all paired up. Begin."

Deeks and Sofia faced each other and bowed. She quickly went on the offensive and he countered. They sparred back and forth, neither getting a hit on the other. After a few minutes, Sofia was breathing hard. "Come on Deeks, stand still! Stop running away from little ole me."

"He who runs away, lives to fight another day."

"Maybe, but it's not as satisfying! You afraid of me?"

"Sofia…" She made a sudden move and he was on his back, looking up at her.

"Ah, Marty, distractions, remember? Taunting?"

He laughed and put his hand up. She took it and pulled him to his feet. "Touché." They went at it again and Deeks took her down. The third time, she caught him off balance and down he went again. Deciding to go best out of five, they were disappointed when Mac called class to a stop.

"Okay, I think we're done for the day. I'm very pleased with everyone's progress today! You've all done very well. Tomorrow, we fight with knives. For obvious reasons, we won't be using real ones, instead using something called a shocknife."

Deeks groaned and realized others had heard him as eyes turned his way. Mac grinned. "I'm assuming you're familiar with them, Deeks?"

"I am, and they hurt!" Kensi, Sam and Callen all fought with them and he usually ended up practically sizzling by the end when he sparred with them.

"Yes, they certainly do, but much less than a knife to the belly. For those of you unfamiliar with them, the knife delivers an electric shock that stimulates the nerves and feels just like a knife cut would, just without any actual physical injury. You'll learn what it feels like to be knifed and it will definitely be an incentive to avoid it. Tomorrow will be the end of your actual training. The two days after that will be evaluated sparring to determine what you've learned and what you haven't. As I said before, losing is not shameful. Someone will win, someone will lose. I won't be looking for that. I'll be looking for how well you apply what I've tried to teach you. You're dismissed for the day, hit the showers."

Everyone but Deeks moved towards the locker room. He remained behind as requested. Phil stopped when he realized and looked back. Deeks smiled to let him know everything was okay and he turned away. Deeks turned to Mac. "You wanted to talk with me?"

"Yes, you're pretty good."

"I've had some good teachers."

"I can see that. So, what did you see that allowed you to take me down?"

"You have a tell."

"Really? And what, pray tell, is my tell?"

"You dip your right shoulder before going for a leg swipe with your left."

She smirked at him. "Do I really?"

"Yeah, you…." He paused and searched her face, his jaw dropping open when he realized what she meant. "You let me see that, you let me win. Why?"

"You're not the first I've had in class with some training, Deeks. You are, however, the first in a long time to pick up on that tell. Most are either so worried about beating the teacher that they don't make an effort or they're more worried about impressing their fellow trainees by beating the teacher, that they don't pay attention. It's also another lesson, one I usually only give to my better students. If you're up against someone who really knows what they're doing, they may let you see a false weakness that they'll then turn against you when you're confident you have them all figured out."

He tilted his head and thought about it, a sudden thought making him smile. "Can you teach me how to lay a false tell?"

She laughed. "It's not hard, you just have to remember what it is and repeat it. Just don't let it become a real tell. If you're sparring against the same person a lot, the first time it works should be the last. It also takes some finesse to determine when your opponent is ready to take advantage of it. You need to pay as much, if not more, attention to them then they are to you."

"Got it."

"Good, now pick up your stick." He did so, and they faced off against each other, taking the next fifteen minutes with Mac showing him how to pretend to have a tell. He'd feel like he was getting it, and she'd attack before he was ready, using the supposed tell to really take him down. He was even more sweaty than before. She stepped back and bowed. He bowed back and leaned on his stick, thinking about what she'd just taught him. He wondered if he'd ever dare use it against Hetty. He tried to picture taking her down and found he couldn't. He smiled, his fondness for her showing on his face.

"At least one of the people who train you, is important to you."

"Yes, she is."

"She? Well, that explains a lot."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you appear to have some strong women in your life. It's makes you more open to the idea that you can be beat by a woman and that there's no shame in it. That's a hard lesson to learn for some men. Don't get me wrong, it's not all men. It's just that those that do have a problem with losing to me, tend to make a strong impression."

"Yeah, I'm surrounded by strong women and I care for them all. They can all pretty much wipe the floor with me. If I found that shameful, I'd never be able to get out of bed in the morning."

"Good. I'll see you in the morning, now scoot."

"Yes ma'am." He sketched her a salute and headed for the showers. She watched him go with a smile on her face.

"He's going to make a good agent. Sheppard and Templeton both think so too." Henderson said softly from behind her. She took a chance and leaned back into him in the empty gym, his arms going around her waist.

"I have to agree."

"Only one thing that might stand in his way."

She turned in his arms. "What?"

"Carrington's decided he's not NCIS material and there's a chance he's turned one of the trainees into his personal attack dog."

Hearing footsteps and laughter, she stepped back out of his arms. She thought about it for a moment and then narrowed her eyes at him. "Mark Roberts?"

"Got it in one."

"I thought there was something off with him yesterday when he took down his partner after she'd pinned him. Waited until her back was turned. He apologized but I didn't feel like he really meant it."

"There's a chance he messed with Deeks's sig during weapons training."

"What?!"

He shook his head. "There's no way to prove it."

"The cameras?" She asked quietly.

"There's a gap. Someone turned them off, tampered with the gun and then turned them back on again later."

She looked at him with an open mouth. "That…that means…."

"Someone on the staff is either responsible or told someone about them."

"Crap."

"Crap indeed." They both turned when the group of trainees they'd heard coming, entered the gym. They all waved goodbye and wished them a good night. Both gave strained smiles in return. Deeks and his crew were the last out, obviously having waited for their tardy friend. Deeks saw the two of them standing close together and smiled, waving a goodbye. When he saw the looks on their faces, he was pretty sure Agent Henderson had shared his situation with her. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders at them. Both nodded to let him know they understood and he had a feeling he now had another person watching his back. It should make him feel better and, truthfully, it did somewhat. What bothered him most was that it was even necessary, and he still didn't understand why he attracted this kind of negative attention. He nodded back and trailed out after his friends.

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	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

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Deeks spent the evening showing off his new bruises and recounting the day's events to Kensi, much to her delight. When he told her they were training with shock knives the next day, she teasingly expressed her sympathies. She knew he could probably hold his own with most of the trainees, but for some reason, he rarely won when sparring with her or the rest of their team, even Nell. She knew he hated the feeling the knives simulated and didn't train as hard as he should. She went over some of the more basic moves with him, hard as it was while she was confined to her bed. After about an hour of mock fighting, fraught with laughter, he finally called it quits. He slumped down in the chair next to her bed.

"I'm done, Kens. I've had enough fighting for one day."

"Deeks, I know you don't like the knives, but they're necessary."

"I understand that, it's just…I don't like the way they make me feel."

"No one does, at least no one I know who's actually sane." She laughed and then decided to change the subject a little. "It sounds like you're doing well in this class too."

"Yeah, who knew? All that training with you guys is actually paying off. I know there are some classes coming up that I won't have an edge in, but I have a good group of friends around me and we're all committed to making sure all of us graduate."

She smiled at him. "That's one of the great things about being in training like this! Now maybe you understand why I wanted to invite my sniper class to the wedding." She meant it as a joke but it fell flat as she watched the laughter disappear. "I'm…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought that up." She wondered if there'd come a time when something was said without thinking and it would no longer bring up the hurt.

He put his hand over hers. "It's okay, Kens. We're in a better place now. I don't want you to worry and overthink everything you're about to say. It's not healthy."

"I know it's not, but it hurts me to see the change come over you when something reminds you."

"I feel the same way when it happens to you." He leaned in and kissed her hard. Sitting back, he smiled gently at her. "What happened, happened. We both said and did things we'll always regret, but we're getting stronger every day. Eventually, we'll look back, shake our heads and wonder what all the fuss was about."

"I almost lost you." She said softly. She really didn't mean to bring it up again, but she couldn't foresee a time when she would be blasé about what had happened…what had _almost_ happened. He sighed, and she squeezed his hand. "I know you don't like to talk about it. I know you're here now, but I can't help thinking about the what-ifs."

"What-ifs are just that, Kensi. Life is full of them. Things that didn't happen. If you worry about them, you'll be frozen in indecision for the rest of your life. I don't want that. For you…or for me."

"I don't either. I just think it would be good, healthy even, to talk about it."

"Talk about what? That I stupidly got drunk on a boat in the middle of the ocean? That we passed out and had the misfortune of having a storm come up on us? It could just as easily have turned out that we woke up the next morning with nothing more serious than a hangover."

"Now who's talking what-ifs?"

He got up and paced around the room. "What is it you want me to say? What do you need to hear before you put this behind us? That I was scared out of my mind? That I thought I'd never see you again? That I'd never have a chance to make things right? To talk about it instead of running away like a coward? The answer to all of them is yes."

"You're not a coward! You've never been a coward!"

"In that situation? Yes, I was. I should have thought it over and come to the conclusion that something didn't add up. Instead, I ran and put others in danger. Rueben would never have been out there in that storm if it wasn't for me. He would've been on dry land trying to woo Clarinda. He could've been killed."

"And maybe, if you hadn't gone there, they never would've moved forward and admitted their feelings. Maybe they'd still be dancing around each other. Maybe, he would've gone out anyway. Only this time alone and got caught up in the same storm but without you to help him get back."

"What-ifs." He sat back down with a pensive look on his face.

"Yeah, they're all around us. Every decision we make, every chance we take, have what-ifs."

Suddenly, he laughed and started to sing the old Police song, Every Breath You Take, paraphrasing a little. "Every move you make, every chance you take, I'll be watching you."

She loved his singing voice, so smiled and joined in, not really thinking. "Oh, can't you see? You belong to me. My poor heart aches, with every step you take." They both paused, the laughter fading, feeling the truth behind the words. Every step he'd taken away from her had hurt both of them. Every word she'd said had hurt both of them. There was plenty of blame to go around but he was right, they needed to put it behind them and move on.

She looked at him seriously. "I made a promise that I would always be truthful with you from now on. I make another promise now, I will do my best not to allow the past to affect the future. Our future."

"That's all I can ask of you and all you can ask of me." He kissed her again and they both made a concerted effort to put it behind them, spending the rest of the evening gently talking about the future, never bringing up marriage but it was there, unspoken.

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Deeks looked for Claire as soon as he entered the shop. She was waiting on another customer but saw him enter. When it was his turn, she made his coffee, then looked at him sadly and his heart hurt for her. "Oh Claire, I'm so sorry." He was surprised when she giggled and held up her left hand where a diamond sparkled on her left ring finger. "You…"

"Sorry, Marty, I couldn't resist! Apparently, Melissa had the same idea. We both had rings ready when we went to dinner." She came around the counter, as there was no one else waiting, and he hugged her.

"That's _so_ awesome! Was she as surprised as you were?"

"Yeah, it was pretty funny, actually. The owner of the restaurant is a friend of ours. We both asked him to put the ring in our desserts, separately of course. He thought it was hysterical and didn't tell either of us, although he said it was hard not to let the cat out of the bag every time he saw one of us. He was so worried about us getting the wrong ring, he brought them out to us himself."

"So…who got in the first proposal?"

Claire wrinkled her nose. "She did. I was so surprised, so sure I was the one who was going to do it, that I was speechless just long enough for her to say the words."

"Well, I have to say, that is pretty darn romantic!"

She smiled, lighting up her whole face. "Yeah, it really was. And, if we ever have children, it will be a great story to tell them."

"It's a great story now!" He hugged her again as another customer walked in. She quickly returned it and walked back to her station behind the counter, handing him his drink and waving away the payment. He smiled and stuffed the money into the tip jar, winking at her before turning to walk to their table.

Everyone had watched and wondered what was going on. Phil was the quickest to act. "So, just what was that all about?" Deeks took a sip of his coffee and closed his eyes, heaving a sigh of contentment, not answering, teasing them a little. "Come on Marty? What was that about?"

He smiled. "Claire got engaged last night."

"Really? That's awesome! What's her name?" Amanda asked.

"Her?" Selina asked.

Deeks tensed. "Yes, her name is Melissa."

He was relieved when she smiled and said. "That's great! You guys seem really close. Have you known her long?"

"Since the beginning of training. This good for nothing and I wondered in here after orientation." He punched Phil in the arm and he fake moaned in pain.

She looked surprised. "So, what? You've known her less than a month and she's telling you personal things like that?"

He squirmed in his chair when the others laughed. Charlie shook his head. "You'll learn, grasshopper, you'll learn."

"Very funny." Deeks said.

Phil pretend coughed into his hand and said. "Collector."

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Time out!" John said, stopping both of them. When they looked at him, he pointed at his watch. "Time! We need to head out and you guys need to stop acting like a couple of two-year olds." He was more comfortable around this group now and felt at ease putting his two cents in. They all laughed and got up to leave.

When they split up to go to their cars, Phil turned and called out. "Are too!"

Deeks paused in opening his door then turned as he yelled. "Am not!" Phil was already in his car with the windows up and mouthed "I can't hear you!" at him as he pulled out of the parking space. Deeks just shook his head and got into his own car with a laugh.

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Mac smiled at the class as they entered the gym and she didn't miss the fact that trainee Forrester's small group of friends made a point of sitting closer to Deeks and his group than they had the day before. This was one of the things she loved about training the candidates coming in. Watching the relationships develop. The good ones could last a career, if not a lifetime and, if she wasn't mistaken, there were newly formed couples in both groups. She scanned the rest of the class and frowned a little to find Roberts sitting by himself. She'd been warned he was a loner and several of the other instructors had told her they were convinced he wouldn't make a good agent. Regardless of what the movies portrayed, a loner did not make some kind of super-agent. You needed a team, you needed to trust them with your life and they needed to be able to do the same with you. Roberts didn't seem like the type. Sighing a little, she turned to the class.

"Today, you learn how to fight with knives. The shock knives will have no lingering effects, but they _will_ hurt. Deeks, you said you had some experience with these, would you like to come up and demonstrate with me?"

"Um, no?"

Mac laughed and motioned Agent Henderson forward. "Somehow, I didn't think so. Please pay attention class." The next hour had both agents circling each other and showing moves and counter moves. When they were done, they broke up the class into pairs and set them to work. Deeks grimaced as he heard yelps of pain coming from all around him. Today he was paired with John first and both men were tentative in their sparring. Mac took notice and sidled over to them. "It would appear that neither of you are taking this seriously, gentleman." She said quietly.

Deeks sighed, he knew she was right. "Sorry, Mac. We'll do better."

"See that you do." She gave them both an encouraging smile and kept an eye on them for the rest of the session. Both appeared to be putting more effort into it and she had to smile when Lefebvre got in a lucky hit on Deeks's right side towards the end of the first session. The loud yelp followed by 'fraggle rock', had everyone stopping and looking, making him blush furiously. Roberts was staring at him with a smug smile on his face, until his sparring partner hit him in the chest when he wasn't looking. The man rounded on his partner and started slashing widely.

"Mr. Roberts! This is not a Jackie Chan movie! You took your eye off your opponent and he was perfectly correct in taking advantage of your inattention. That will get you killed." Deeks made it a point not to look Roberts's way, figuring the man would take it wrong, like always. They broke up and reformed two more times, Deeks won one and would call the second a tie. He was sweating profusely, and hurting in more places than he could count, when Mac called it quits for the morning. They all groaned, and several dropped to the mats, swearing they were done with NCIS, Deeks being one of them. Mac just chuckled and sent them on their way to lunch.

Phil sauntered over and held out a hand. He looked up and shook his head. "No, that's okay, I'm so comfortable here I think I'll just stay a while."

"C'mon, Deeks! Cowboy up!" Phil grinned down at him. Sighing, he grabbed the proffered hand and allowed himself to be levered off the floor. The rest of the group surrounded him, most of them groaning and telling him he was right, the damn things DID hurt! They shuffled off to the cafeteria and took their food outside to enjoy the beautiful day Georgia had seen fit to provide them with.

Looking around at the impromptu picnic, Deeks had an idea. "Hey, you guys? What would you think about all of us getting together this weekend? Maybe go somewhere and have a picnic or barbeque?"

"We'd get to meet Kensi?" Amanda asked.

"Of course! Not like I would leave her in Savannah."

"So, you'd come here?" Phil asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes. Deeks knew he knew why he'd suggested the two of them coming here, instead of all of them going to Savannah, even though that would be easier on Kensi. He didn't want to take a chance that Roberts, or whoever Charlie and Amanda had spotted following them, would find out where he lived and, by extension, her location.

He nodded. "Sure, there must be somewhere around here we could go, and I know Kens would love to get out of the hospital to take a road trip."

"I've been to Selden Park a couple times since I've been here. It's pretty nice and they have areas for picnics." Sofia said.

John nodded. "I've been there too, shouldn't have much trouble getting a wheelchair around."

Deeks smiled. "Alright then, we have a plan! Saturday afternoon at Selden Park? Say, around 1? I'll talk to Kensi tonight, but I know she'll be in!"

"Sounds great Marty! What should we bring for food?" Amanda asked. The rest of their lunch was taken up with making plans and suggestions. They were all in a good mood when they headed back to the gym. Mac watched them straggle back in and smiled at the difference an hour had made.

She got their attention and started the afternoon session, again having them pair up, spar, break up and reform. At the end of the afternoon, Deeks was paired with one of Forrester's group, a guy by the name of Wenjie Chan and the two began to spar. Chan was much better than Deeks and didn't hold back. When he'd been hit for the fifth or sixth time, he called time out.

"I'm not going to go easy on you." Chan said.

"I don't want you to. I want you to show me some of the moves you've been making. How'd you learn them?"

"My dad was into martial arts, specifically Tanto Jutsu. It's a style that uses the Tanto knife, which is famous all over the world. I wasn't as into it as he was, but I picked up enough to do okay."

"Awesome, what can you teach me?'

"I'm not a teacher."

"No, but you are wiping the floor with my ass. I kind of like my ass, I'd like to keep it attached to my body and off said floor."

Wenjie laughed and began to show him some of the moves his dad had taught him. By the end of the afternoon session, Deeks applied what Wenjie had taught him and saw a definite improvement in his performance. When Mac called it quits, he was sore and aching but somewhat more pleased with how the day had ended versus how it had started.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen. I've used you and abused you these last three days. For the _next_ three days, you will put what you've learned to the test. You will be broken up into pairs, again not with someone you've sparred with before. You will then be placed in a simulation where both combatants will start out unarmed but have access to various tools that can be used as weapons, along with actual weapons that you will need to find a way to pick up without giving your opponent an opening. This is still part of your training. There will be rules and you WILL follow them. No blows to the head. No attacking a downed opponent. Once down, the match is over. If I call it, the match is over. If your opponent calls it, the match is over. This is training, not a full out street brawl. You would also all do well to remember that, so far, you've had exactly three days of training. That's not enough to drop my 80-year-old granny, if she knows what she's doing. Now, hit the showers, then go home, take another hot shower or bath, maybe stop at the pharmacy and pick up some Epsom Salts or Ben-Gay. You'll need it. We'll see you tomorrow."

The groups shuffling out were even quieter than they had been after the morning session, weary and sore. Deeks perked up when he thought about telling Kensi about the things he'd learned and the proposed picnic on Saturday. He knew she'd been dying to meet his new friends, and they her. It would be fun, provided they all survived the next three days. His very subdued group of friends met up outside and walked slowly to their cars. Charlie whimpered when he tried to lift his right arm to put the key in the car door lock, cursing the fact that he didn't have keyless entry. Amanda took pity on him, took the key away and went to open the door. When the pain hit, she bit her lip, not wanting to admit she was just as bad off. The two looked at each other, nonplussed, until Phil came over and gently took the key, opening both driver and passenger doors.

"Mac was right, pick up Ben-Gay or some other kind of sore muscle ointment on the way home." Most of them had taken multiple hits to the upper arms as it was the most accessible in a fight. "If you can't lift your arms tomorrow, you're not going to do too well."

Charlie nodded and the two got in. He started the car and slowly pulled out of the parking spot, not able to swivel around to look for anything coming, so inching out. Phil shook his head and stood guard. He looked at the rest of what he'd started to call his team and they all raised their keys and cars chirped all over the parking lot. He smiled and waited until each was out and on their way; Deeks included. He'd watched his buddy and saw him take quite a few hits, definitely more in the morning. He'd seem to find his stride in the afternoon, but still hadn't been as proficient as Phil would have liked. He now knew his friend hadn't been kidding when he said he hated the shock knife and wasn't all that good at it. He got into his own car and carefully inched his way out of his spot, glad no one was there to see him.

~,~,~,~,~

Deeks walked into the coffee shop and into the familiar routine. His drink was waiting for him, his friends were already at their table and he was actually able to move without too much pain. Kensi had howled at the stories he'd told her about the day's training and he'd pretended to be indignant as she wiped away the tears of laughter. In addition, she was ecstatic at both the idea of getting out of the hospital and finally meeting his friends. They'd put their heads together to come up with a plan for their outing and Deeks had reserved the handicapped van again using her tablet. They'd both agreed that Monty would go as he was as much a part of their family as anyone. She'd been so excited, she'd worn herself out and fallen asleep mid-sentence. He'd stayed a while longer, watching her sleep, thinking about the future. More and more he was considering proposing again, knowing that this time, her answer would be honest, no matter what it was. He'd finally stood up and placed a soft kiss on her forehead before heading home for the evening.

He sat down at their table and smiled. "Ok, Kensi's a go for Operation Picnic. Everyone still in?" A chorus of yeses met his question and the talk turned to logistics again. A stray thought crossed his mind and he cleared his throat. When everyone turned to look at him, he asked. "What would you guys think of asking Claire and Melissa? Maybe Forrester and his group?"

Phil laughed. "I wondered how long it would take you to include them. I'm all for it. You guys?" Again, there wasn't a single no and Deeks grinned as he got up to head to the counter to put forth his first invitation.

Claire watched him come and raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong with the coffee today, Marty?"

"No, it's great as usual. I…we…were just wondering…we're planning on a picnic around one o'clock on Saturday at Selden Park. Any chance you and Melissa might be available? I'm bringing Kensi."

She tilted her head. "I'm not really supposed to fraternize with the customers."

"C'mon, Claire! We're not just your customers, we're your friends. We'd love it if you could both join us, but no pressure. It's just a picnic with maybe a little barbecue thrown in." Phil had been adamant about snagging one of the provided grills at the park and cooking up some steaks, hotdogs and burgers.

"Sounds yummy! How can I turn you down? I have to work in the morning and might be a little late. Would that be okay? Oh, and I have to make sure Melissa doesn't need to work. Can I let you know tomorrow?"

"Sure. Tell her we're dying to meet her and will be crushed if she doesn't come!" She laughed and shooed him away as another customer came through the door. He turned and headed back to his group, giving them a thumbs-up and getting a cheer in response. The reaction put a big smile on Claire's face and her customer went away with a smile of his own.

~,~,~,~,~

Mac had recruited a couple more instructors for the last sparring lessons. It was hard for just two of them to keep track of everyone in these less controlled sessions and they needed to make sure no one took things too far. While most of the trainees would sport bruises or cuts by the end of the day, broken bones or concussions were not on the docket. She planned on keeping an eye on Roberts herself, especially when she paired him with Deeks, which she'd scheduled during the last session of the last day. Stefan would be there, as always, and Lucas Sheppard had actually volunteered, which was surprising as he generally had to be pried away from his precious gun range, even when he had no current class, like now. In addition, she had a couple more people who usually helped out and were familiar with the training.

She'd asked Stefan about Lucas and he'd finally admitted that they both had their eyes on Deeks and Roberts, telling her about their concerns over Carrington's role in the whole situation. She couldn't really say she was surprised. She had a feeling that Deeks would be an acquired taste for someone like Carrington, while for others, like herself and Stefan, it had been instantaneous. She'd been a bit surprised that Lucas counted himself amongst the latter group, having been career military and a very straight arrow.

When everyone arrived, she divvied them up, with one of the instructors responsible for several groups, explaining the rules once again. The first groups to go did fairly well, picking up whatever was at hand to go on the offensive or defensive, depending on how quick they were. There were only one or two instances when an instructor had to step in and put a stop to things before they got out of hand, one of which was, not all that surprisingly, between Mark Roberts and Phil Johnstone. She knew Johnstone was one of Deeks's closest friends and that there didn't appear to be any love lost between him and Roberts. When each group had a victor, she made sure they shook hands before heading back to their places. The morning went by quickly and everyone was relieved to take a break for lunch. While the trainees limped out to eat, the instructors sat together and evaluated them.

"It's a pretty good group this time out, wouldn't you say?" Mac asked.

"Yeah, some pretty strong candidates that I think will make very good agents, specifically Johnstone and Deeks." Lucas replied. "Roberts though? He still has me concerned. He seemed okay this morning, not doing much more that he was supposed to and the dust up between him and Johnstone had history behind it."

"I know what you mean." Said Paula Cummings. She was an instructor in Computer Technology but had a black belt in several martial arts fields and was one of the usual referees for this training exercise.

"Why?" Mac asked, wanting to hear someone else put it into words.

"I'm not sure. There's just something about him that makes me feel like I have to keep my eyes on him at all times, to never turn my back."

"Is everyone else in agreement?" Mac asked. Every head nodded yes, and she made a note in his file. Moving on, they discussed each one of the trainees while bolting down their own lunches as she took notes. They finished just as the first of the trainees started straggling back in. The afternoon went much the same as the morning, with everyone getting a chance to spar with a new partner. Roberts kept his nose clean and the afternoon flew by. Too tired to even joke around, the groups showered and headed home with a minimum of talking beyond see you in the mornings. Deeks evening with Kensi was a series of episodes where he fell asleep and started awake, until she laughingly sent him home, where he fell into bed still dressed and didn't wake up until the next morning, the faithful Monty snuggled up against him.

The next day went the same as the first, the brightest spot for Deeks's group being when Claire had let them know Melissa was available and really looking forward to meeting them. Being the most organized of them all, and having been to the park already, John suggested he get there early and stake out one of the picnic pavilions for them. No one was really surprised when Sofia said she'd join him, although they teased her and John gently. Both took it in good humor, lending weight to the suspicion they all had that a relationship was starting there.

The next rounds of sparring showed improvement on the part of each trainee as they began to figure out how to apply what they'd learned and took their time to evaluate each situation instead of just wading in. They were all still sore at the end of the day but this time there was the satisfaction of doing their best. The atmosphere was more jovial as the class broke up, each looking forward to the last day. Deeks and his group met outside in the parking lot as usual. Phil had a look on his face that told his friends he had something on his mind.

"What's up Phil?" Charlie asked.

"Tomorrow's the last day of training and Roberts hasn't gone up against Marty yet."

"You think Roberts will try to pull something on him?" Amanda asked, her arms crossing over her body indicating that he could try.

"I have no idea. I'm sure it will be fine." Deeks was the one who responded.

"We all have your back, Marty. You know that." Phil said.

"I know, and I appreciate it. Besides, what can go wrong? Mac, Sheppard and the rest will be there to make sure nothing bad goes down." Phil just hmphed and looked unconvinced, not sure why he had a knot in his stomach. "Phil, really, it will be fine. Even if he does try something, I'll be watching for it and I'm not exactly a slouch in hand to hand."

Phil forced a grin. "Yeah, unless it's one of the shock knives!"

Deeks pretended to look offended. "Hey! I've gotten much better!"

"Yeah, you only took twice as many hits with it as anyone else today, instead of four or five times as many during the last few days."

"Well? That's an improvement!" Deeks grinned at his friend but he didn't respond in kind.

"I don't know why, but I got a really bad feeling about this."

"What's he going to do to me? Shock me a few times? Give my bruises bruises?"

"I think he could see this as an opportunity to hurt you bad enough that you'd have to drop out while you healed." Now he had everyone else concerned.

"That's…that's…."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

"No _way_ anyone will let that happen." Charlie said.

"How do we stop it if he takes into his mind to try and break Marty's arm or leg then claim it was an accident?"

"I'll be careful Phil." Deeks replied. "I want this too much to let him do anything to take it away from me." He tried to inject some humor into the heavy atmosphere. "I want it bad enough that I actually considered getting a haircut and a clean shave!"

Phil blinked at him and then tilted his head, looking closely at him. Finally, he shook his head. "Nah, I can't see it. Wouldn't be right."

Deeks clapped him on the back and laughed, the others joining in as he'd hoped. They all got in their cars and it was a cheerier bunch that drove away, with the exception of Deeks. Thinking over Phil's words made him shiver. He would have to be extra careful tomorrow.

~,~,~,~


	15. Chapter 15

A/N - thanks to honus47, as always, for doing the beta. I tweaked it a bit after I got it back, so any mistakes are mine!

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Chapter 15

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The next day dawned bright and beautiful once again. Those from the more northern states had idle thoughts of what it would be like to live somewhere like this all year round. It passed through Phil's mind, but then he thought he would miss the change of seasons at home and dismissed it. He'd had enough brown, sandy Christmases to last a lifetime and wanted the rest of them to be white ones. All of them were early to the coffee shop, no one really expressing the odd feelings they had, but they all knew it. Deeks felt badly, knowing it was because of him, but was glad to know his friends would be there for him. The talk was aimed more towards their outing the next day, firming up plans and who was bringing what, Claire joining in when she had a free moment. They all felt the tension rise as it got closer to time to leave and, by unspoken agreement, they got up and left early.

Mac only raised her eyebrows when they trooped in, making a point of looking at her watch. They all shrugged at her and started to help putting out the equipment without being asked. She watched them with a frown on her face but didn't say anything. When the rest of the class appeared, the last day of training started. She realized she was actually going to miss this group. There was just something about them. She'd already decided to keep an eye on Deeks and Johnstone. She had a feeling Roberts wouldn't be there long enough for her to make an effort to watch him.

"Ok, class. This is it! The last day of training. I'm proud of all of you. You've all made great strides, but remember this, if you take nothing else away from here today. Practice, ladies and gentlemen, practice. Take a class, any kind of class. Find an MMA gym where people are willing to spar with you. Talk to your fellow agents, wherever you end up stationed. Learn from them, train with them. Not only will you learn new things, you'll learn how they fight, how they react. That can only help enhance a team atmosphere and will help you to work better together. It will also keep you in shape. First group is up."

For Deeks's friends, the morning session seemed to drag. They knew Roberts and he were scheduled in the last group of the day, just after lunch. Then it would all be over, for better or worse. It kept them all on edge, to the point that John was actually able to take down Phil when they were paired up. He pulled the older man up off the floor with a muttered apology, but Phil had only smiled a little, clapped him on the back and told him he'd done a good job, making the younger man puff up with pride. When lunch finally came, they were more than ready to get out of the gym, but their meal was a quiet affair, even with Deeks pulling ever goofier stuff to try to lighten the mood. Eventually, even he gave up. They were somber as they walked back into the gym for the last time.

Mac smiled at them all. "This is it, this is the last session on the last day. I say again, I'm proud of you. Of course, that's probably because you have such an outstanding teacher!" Everyone laughed. Everyone except Roberts, who had his perpetual sneer in place. "Pair up with your next assigned partner and let's get this show on the road." They all stood up and faced off in their assigned twosomes. This time Deeks was up against another of Forrester's group, who made it a point to pick up a handy shock knife, even though Deeks had tried to head him off. Surprisingly, he only took one small hit to the upper left bicep and won the match. The man had shrugged and then laughed, stating he'd taken a chance on the knife, knowing his opponent's very vocal dislike of them. They shook hands and went back to their seats to wait for the other matches to complete, Deeks carefully watching Roberts in his match with Sofia. He noted the man's moves and tried to identify any tells. He hated to admit it, but the guy was pretty good. It didn't appear that he was pulling any punches with his partner.

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly and then it was time for the last groups to face each other. Mac stood in front of them. "We've almost reached the end of this class. I hope you've all learned something and will take it with you. Being an NCIS agent is something to be proud of. You will represent this country and it's naval contingent. Some of the bravest people on the planet. If you're lucky, you'll join them. Now, pair up with your last assigned partner."

Everyone partnered up, including Deeks and Roberts. Deeks held his hand out to Roberts, making one last ditch effort to reach the other man. "Good luck, Mark." Roberts ignored it and rolled his shoulders, a look in his eyes that made Deeks sigh. He dropped his hand with a shrug. "Well, can't say I didn't try." He muttered. As soon as Mac called for them to start, Roberts lunged at him. He ducked and planted a fist in the other man's stomach. It didn't seem to even phase him. Roberts kicked out and caught him behind the knees. He fell to the ground but rolled with it, coming up off the floor with a length of wood he snagged from what was provided. The two circled each other as Roberts pulled one of the shock knives out of his waistband, where he'd hidden it while Deeks was otherwise occupied with getting back on his feet. Deeks sighed and knew this was not going to go well. The fight began in earnest, Roberts getting a couple glancing hits in with the knife, leaving pain behind. Deeks recognized that this was not sparring, this was a no holds barred fight. Well, he had some surprises for Mr. Roberts. One didn't grow up with an abusive alcoholic parent without learning some creative ways of staying out of reach. Add in spending time on the streets with trouble magnet friends like Ray, and he could fight dirty with the best of them. They went back and forth, neither one gaining an edge and the sweat poured off both of them.

The other students finished and began watching, some with concern, others with no idea what was going on. The instructors kept a careful watch, having seen nothing yet that would make them wade in and break things up, but all well aware that they were no longer witnessing a simple sparring match. This had progressed way beyond that. The two combatants continued to go at each other. Deeks had lost his piece of wood but had picked up one of the fighting sticks, his current favored method of fighting. He'd managed to knock the knife out of Roberts's hand and it had gone skittering off into the crowd. Roberts tried a few of his karate moves, sure that his superior training would give him an edge, but Deeks was leaner and wirier. He kept slipping away, staying just that far out of reach, and that was starting to make Roberts mad and sloppy. He spun into a hook kick and Deeks skipped out of the way, but he too was tiring. Roberts saw this and went for a side kick. The kick only got a part of him, but he went down on one knee, beyond tired now.

Deciding that this had gone on long enough and someone was bound to get hurt, Mac made her decision. "I'm calling this match." She said loudly, starting to step forward.

Hearing her but ignoring the context of her words, Roberts swept up a length of wood and raised it over his head, Deeks lifting his forearm in protection. The other man roared and swung downward with all his might. Deeks closed his eyes, waiting for the sickening crunch, knowing he was out of position, too tired to move quickly and that he wouldn't have time to get out of the way. All he could do was to protect as much of himself as he could, making himself into as small a target as possible. He waited for the blow that never came.

Opening his eyes, he found Roberts in the grip of Sheppard and Mac. He was fighting against them, trying to get back to Deeks, his eyes glazed and red rimmed. "Mr. Roberts, you are done! Do you hear me? You're through at NCIS! And I'll make damned sure you aren't accepted at any other agency! This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated! I warned you that if I called the match, that was it!" Mac was furious and yelling at Roberts, who was still struggling to get away. Finally, the words sunk in and Roberts realized what had just been said. He was out. He wasn't going to be an agent. The realization only made him angrier and he fought harder, almost breaking out of the two instructors hold, trying to get to Deeks who was panting on the floor, watching the whole thing unfold. Harrington joined in and three of them wrestled Roberts to the floor. He finally wound down as he tired of trying to fight three people. When the red fog cleared, he knew who was ultimately responsible for his failure, who had just ruined his life. He began searching for Deeks, to find him finally on his feet, surrounded by not only his friends, but all the rest of the trainees, all aligned against him.

He finally spoke. "You can't do this! Don't you see? It's _him_! He's not fit to be an agent. It was _my_ job to make sure he didn't make it through class! It was _my_ responsibility to protect this agency from the likes of him!" He struggled in the grip of the instructors again as they pulled him up off the floor.

Mac pushed her face directly into his. "Mr. Deeks is _exactly_ what this agency needs! I'm not sure where you got the idea that we needed _you_ to protect us from him. That is not, and never was, your job. Your job was to pay attention and do the best in your classes that you could. If anyone is not fit to become an agent, one of us would have seen that and taken care of it. And that's exactly what we're doing with you! You will pack your things and be escorted off the center's property. You will not be allowed back in, now or ever! Nor will you be allowed in any NCIS office or on any naval base in this country or abroad! Do you understand me, Mr. Roberts?"

He sneered at her as he thought of Carrington, a warped feeling of invincibility rising in him. "We'll see about that! I have friends in high places here, friends that requested, expected, me, yes _me_ , to take care of Deeks! I'm not the one who should be concerned about being barred from NCIS, _bitch_ , that would be you!" He headbutted her and she went down. Instantly he was engulfed by instructors and trainees, all furious at his actions. Harrington the first among them. He struggled frantically until new voices joined in, pulling people off him and yelling for order. When the crowd cleared, three Marine Corp MPs pulled Roberts into their custody. He hung in their grip, panting. Mac was helped to her feet by Harrington and Deeks, a gash opened over her right eye, blood dripping down the side of her face and the bridge of her nose.

"Mac? What the _hell_ is going on here?" Asked one the MPs, concerned at what he was seeing.

"Sgt. Stone, Mr. Roberts has just been ejected from the program. He is to be escorted off the property. He is not allowed to speak with anyone, especially…" here she leaned towards Roberts. "…Neal Carrington!"

Roberts eyes widened as he heard her, realizing that she knew of his association with Agent Carrington. He narrowed them again and spit on the floor at her feet. "That won't stop me from talking to him! You can kick me off the property, but you can't stop me from telling him _exactly_ what's been going on!"

"Oh? And, what, _exactly_ , has been going on?" Mac asked, her tone deadly.

"The way all you instructors fawn all over him? You think I don't know that you're sleeping with him? Did you know he's sleeping with Agent Templeton too? I wouldn't be surprised if he was sleeping with Sheppard too! He'd do anything, and anyone, to make sure he graduates this course, when it's obvious he isn't even remotely qualified!"

"Those are serious allegations Mr. Roberts. Do you have any proof to back them up?" Asked Sgt. Stone, knowing full well there wouldn't be. He knew all the agents mentioned and that there was no way his statements were true.

"I don't need proof! It's obvious!" Roberts sputtered, wondering how these MPs could be so dense. "You guys are too stupid to understand it! I need to talk to someone, right now! I need to talk to Agent Carrington!"

"Yeah, I think you do need to talk to someone alright. I'm going to recommend that you be taken into custody and brought to the psychiatric ward at the hospital, where you can talk all you like. _We'll_ be talking to Agent Carrington." Stone nodded to his men and they began to drag Roberts away, kicking and screaming. He turned back to the watching crowd. "Mac? You need a doctor?"

"No, I'm fine. I've had worse. Just needs to be cleaned up and slap a band-aid on it."

"Mac." Harrington said quietly.

"You know I'm right." She smiled at him and he shook his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to get this woman to a doctor unless her arm was hanging on by a thread. In a weird way, it was one of the things he loved about her. Her sheer strength and determination. He turned and headed to the office to get the first aid kit. As he was leaving, he heard Stone ask again what had happened. The resulting cacophony of responses had him rolling his eyes, glad it wasn't him trying to take statements.

Stone finally whistled, and everyone stopped talking. "One at a time. Mac, let's start with you." Over the next twenty minutes, everyone gave their statements, including Sheppard and Harrington, giving their opinion that Carrington had set this ball in motion, but emphasizing they also had no proof. Still, it was enough to warrant the MPs visiting the agent in question. When it was finally over, Stone took his leave as Harrington patched Mac up. Trainees began to straggle out of the gym, the excitement over, Mac yelling that the class standings would be posted the next day but that everyone had passed. Deeks and his crew stayed behind, as well as Forrester's. They could hear the speculation about whether an NCIS agent had really sicced one student on another one.

When it was quiet again, Deeks turned to Mac. "I'm so…"

She interrupted him. "If you _dare_ say you're sorry, I'll wipe the floor of this gym with you! From everything I've heard, _none_ of this was your fault. If we find out Carrington took advantage of an unstable trainee to do his dirty work, _Mr_. Carrington will not be long at NCIS."

"Thanks Mac." He turned to his friends who were all displaying varying levels of anger. "Look, guys, it's over, finally over, for good. I actually feel kind of bad for Roberts." He said the last part quietly.

"How the hell can you feel bad for him?" John asked.

Phil answered. "Because…he obviously has some issues that Carrington exploited, consciously or not. He was led down a path that completely ruined his dreams, all to further the agenda of someone else. Someone who didn't give a damn about him." He and Deeks exchanged an understanding look and Phil nodded. He'd seen enough men come apart at the seams during war. He'd just seen that in Roberts. He found himself wishing he'd done more. Maybe the man wouldn't be headed where he was, if he had. Deeks reached out, putting a hand on his arm and shook his head. Phil felt a kinship with him that he didn't have with many. It wasn't often that you found someone who you clicked with so closely.

Deeks straightened. "Well, another day, another dollar. What say we all head home and prepare for tomorrow?" He turned to the instructors and Forrester's group. "We're planning a barbecue slash picnic tomorrow. Any of you want to come?"

Everyone in Tony's group enthusiastically answered in the affirmative.

Mac smiled but shook her head no. "Ask me again when this class graduates and you'll get a different answer." Deeks understood. With Roberts's allegations, spurious as they were, there was no way they could show any hint of favoritism.

"It's a date." The group shook hands with all the instructors and headed out.

Sheppard watched them go. "You know, once they graduate? I have a feeling that won't be the last we'll be hearing of Agent Deeks." He got nods as they headed into the office to write up the last of their evaluations, Mac holding an ice pack to her forehead.

~,~,~,~,~

Deeks lifted Kensi out of the van and settled her into the wheelchair. They'd spent most of the previous night talking about what had happened with Roberts. When he'd again said he felt sorry for the man, she'd had the same reaction as his friends.

" _How can you feel sorry for him? He brought it on himself!"_

" _Did he? If Carrington hadn't taken such a dislike to me, if he hadn't used Roberts to do his dirty work, hadn't influenced his opinion of me, who knows what might have happened? Hell, we might even have become friends!"_

" _From what you've told me, I think that's unlikely, Carrington or no Carrington."_

" _Maybe, but at least I don't think we would've become enemies."_

" _Deeks, for Carrington to have been able to use him at all, speaks to Roberts not being cut out for any kind of law enforcement. If it hadn't been him during training, it might have been someone else after he became an agent, putting his team or civilians at risk. I'll agree to feel sorry that it went down like it did, but I truly think it's for the best." She reached out and grabbed his hand. "It's not your fault."_

" _I know it isn't. It's just, we all started out with high hopes, wanting to do something special and it was all taken away from him. It must be tough to have your dreams crushed like that. The MPs even threatened to take him to a psychiatric hospital!" He still wasn't sure if that was just Sgt. Stone trying to defuse the situation by making threats or if Roberts had actually ended up there._

" _Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he was taken there. It sounds like he needs help and is unlikely to seek it out for himself. It could be the best thing that ever happened to him."_

" _Or the worse."_

 _Kensi had sighed. "What-ifs."_

Once she was comfortable in the chair, Kensi looked up at him and noticed that he seemed far away.

"Penny for your thoughts?" She knew the situation with Roberts was still bothering him. He tended to try to find the good in people and wanted the best for everyone. The few exceptions over the years, had been people who were threats to his team or his friends and then a side of him that few ever saw, came out. It was what made him, him.

He shook himself, not wanting to admit he was still thinking of Roberts, wondering where he was now, how he was doing. Regardless of what he'd said to everyone, he couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over. That something bad was going to happen. He just hoped the younger man didn't hurt himself over this. Plus, even if he never heard of Roberts again, there was still Carrington. He wondered if the MPs had interviewed the agent yet and, if they had, what he'd said. He would bet his last dollar that the man would deny ever having said a word to Roberts about him, throwing the disgraced ex-trainee under any bus he could.

"Nothing, just looking forward to having you meet everyone. I hope you like them all!"

"I hope they like me too." She knew that wasn't what was on his mind but let him keep it to himself for now. He usually internalized things that really bothered him until he worked them out in his head. She would give him the time and space he needed. He would talk through it with her when he was ready. He'd texted Phil as soon as they'd parked that they were there and got an immediate response that someone would come to guide them to where they had staked out a spot, adding that pretty much everyone was already there. He started unpacking the van, laughingly placing everything in her lap.

"Hey!"

"What? We have a built in, easy peasey, way to get everything to the picnic without having to actually carry anything!"

"If you pile anything else on me, I won't be able to see where I'm going!"

He waved his hands around. "Details, details!"

Monty started to whine about his desire to get out and they both laughed. He turned and unstrapped the now wiggling dog from his harness and laughed again when his furry friend leapt from the van and started his normal routine of sniffing every available new spot for exciting scents. He grabbed the leash and let the dog do his thing for a few minutes. Satisfied, the dog wandered back and sat at Kensi's side. Deeks handed her the leash and pulled a few last things out of the back and put the ramp back inside. Locking the door, he turned and looked at the pile Kensi was trying to keep from slipping to the ground, all the while holding onto Monty's leash. He stifled a smile and piled a couple more things on her. When she glared up at him and opened her mouth to say something scathing, he reached out and put a finger over her lips.

"Don't bother to thank me, it's the least I can do."

"Deeks…I swear…I'm going to let all of this go!"

"You wouldn't!" He couldn't help it, the smile lit up his face.

"Try me!" Her words were belied by the answering grin on her face. There had been a time when his silly antics had annoyed her to no end. Then, as they got to know each other better, he had begun to make her laugh, lightening her mood when she needed it. Somewhere along the line they'd become endearing. Not that she'd tell him that, although she suspected he already knew.

Laughing, he pulled some things off her lap, slinging the backpack over his shoulders, grabbed a couple grocery bags stuffed with snacks in one hand and with the other, picked up the handle of the large wheeled cooler he'd picked up at the store on the way home the night before. It was now loaded with sodas, water and beer. Once everything was split up comfortably, they turned to see Phil headed their way.

"Hey guys, glad you could finally make it!" Phil teased. He stopped at Kensi's side and she smiled up at him. "Good to finally meet you in the flesh, Kensi!" Without thinking, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"Hey, get your own girl!" Deeks laughed.

"I did, and she wants us to facetime her and the kids when everyone's here. Claire and Melissa aren't here yet, but we knew they'd be by later. John and Sofia have been here since this morning. He wasn't kidding when he said he'd get here early and stake out a big enough spot for all of us. Wenjie is still MIA but the rest of Forrester's group is here." He stopped and grinned. "I got a text from Charlie that he _and_ Amanda are running late. Wonder what held the two of them up?"

"Keep your lascivious speculations to yourself, if you don't mind! I imagine there's a perfectly good explanation." Deeks replied piously.

"Uh huh."

Kensi watched the banter between the two and realized Deeks had made a friend for life. These two were so comfortable with each other, you would think they'd known each other for years instead of just a few weeks. She heard a car pulling in and turned with them to see who it was.

"Speak of the devil." Phil laughed. Kensi watched a couple get out of the car that has just parked and wave at them. There was a flurry of activity as they began to pull stuff out and divvy it up, Charlie taking most of it over Amanda's objections.

"See, now there's a gentleman." Kensi teased.

"Eh, they're still in the early stages." He said without thinking. Phil winced and took a step away.

"And what, _exactly_ , does that mean?" She huffed out. Phil took one more step back.

Realizing how it had come out, Deeks backtracked. "I mean, he just…they haven't….he hasn't learned yet that she's every bit as capable as he is, if not more so and that she doesn't need him to do everything for her."

"Nice save." Phil stage whispered. Deeks glared at him and he blinked back innocently. Kensi's laughter caught everyone's attention as the other couple walked up to them and introductions were made.

"You know, based on what's already there and what you four are packing, we could stay here for a week and never go hungry!" Phil said as he shook his head at how much the two couples were carrying.

"Gotta be prepared for all eventualities, my friend." Deeks said as they all started to head towards their party, Phil guiding them. Once they arrived, the introductions were organized chaos for several minutes, with Monty weaving in and out, barking and sniffing.

Deeks spread out a blanket under a tree between the two pavilions they were occupying, then pulled out a couple pillows he'd packed for her, placing them against the trunk so she'd be able to sit upright comfortably. Once he had everything to his liking, he scooped Kensi out of the chair and gently placed her, the others smiling as they watched his care with her. Finally settled, she looked around and saw that someone had brought games. There was a volleyball net set up, along with horseshoes and a cornhole game which proudly displayed the logo of the Georgia Bulldogs. She felt a little sad, thinking she wouldn't be able to participate. Without even looking at her, Deeks said. "Maybe not volleyball, but there's no reason you can't play any of the other games from your wheelchair."

"I wasn't…."

He interrupted her. "Yes, you were." He said smugly. She smiled and gave in, knowing he would make sure she was included in everything possible. Teams began to form, and the early afternoon air was filled with laughter. Deeks and Kensi teamed up at cornhole and beat John and Sofia, twice. They didn't do as well at horseshoes but laughed the whole time. When she was tired, he got her back to her spot and made to sit with her. She insisted he get the chance to play volleyball and he took her at her word. He joined Phil's team and the two were unstoppable. Sofia and Amanda plopped down with her, claiming to be tired and wanting a rest, setting out some cheese, pepperoni and crackers. Selina immediately joined them and held up a bottle of wine. She was met with cheers as she opened it and passed out plastic cups. The conversation was easy and never awkward as the four made fast friends. Claire and Melissa showed up, and there was a pause in the action as the introductions began all over again. Melissa turned out to be a down to earth counterpart to Claire and fit in like she'd always been part of their circle. When the two joined the volleyball team up against Deeks and Phil's, the tide turned, and they were soon even in games won.

When Wenjie showed up a little while later, Deeks was tired of making introductions so just yelled out. "Wenjie, everyone. Everyone, Wenjie." A chorus of 'Hey Wenjie!'s followed.

Eventually several families of locals began to show up, some disgruntled by the amount of space the very large group had taken up. Yet, somehow, they became absorbed into the party, Monty playing diplomat by dropping his ball at the feet of a young boy with one of the families. The boy instantly fell in love and the two became best friends, Monty following him everywhere. They all combined food and soon five different grills were fired up and food was brought out to be cooked. The tables were laden with appetizers and snacks, to the point where most were complaining they wouldn't be able to eat anything else, Phil overriding them with comments about there always being room for hotdogs and hamburgers. In his opinion, it just wouldn't be a barbeque without them.

A short while later, the boy who had been playing with Monty wandered over to watch the volleyball and finally felt comfortable enough to ask. "Hey, what happened to Monty?"

Deeks looked around and frowned. It wasn't like the dog to wander very far from either Kensi or him. He could see that he wasn't with her and didn't seem to be anywhere close by. He felt a little frisson of alarm. He was in strange territory and if he got lost, Deeks wasn't sure he would be able to find his way back. He'd had him chipped a few years ago, when they were working cases together, just in case. He told his team he was taking a breather and John stepped in to take his place. He sprinted over to where Kensi sat and pulled his phone out of his backpack. He opened the app and found the transmitter was working. The old dog was not that far away and he sighed in relief. Most likely he'd chased a squirrel up a tree in the woods just behind them and was either taking a break or was barking up a storm with frustration that he couldn't get to the small animal.

Kensi looked at him with a frown. "What's up Deeks?"

"Monty wandered off. I'm going to go get him."

"That's not like him."

"No, but he's been pretty wound up with all these new people around. Figure he saw a squirrel and tried to catch it. I'll be right back."

"Do you want someone to go with you?" Amanda asked. She looked comfy on the blanket and a bit flushed with wine. He chuckled as he noticed two more bottles had joined the first and only one still had anything in it. He felt happiness well up inside as he realized Kensi was in good hands. She looked relaxed and like she was really enjoying herself.

"Nah, I'll be good. We'll be right back!" He turned and jogged towards the woods, whistling and calling Monty's name. He frowned when the dog didn't come running and the transmitter showed he was actually moving further away, deeper into the woods. Something wasn't right, and he found himself wishing he'd accepted Amanda's company or asked one of the others to go with him. "Monty! Come on boy! You're missing out on the food!" He paused and noticed the dog had stopped. He looked around and realized he couldn't see his friends anymore as he was deeper into the woods than he'd thought, although he could still faintly hear them. He sighed and continued on, this time the app showed he was getting closer as Monty had stopped moving. He rounded a tree and came to an abrupt halt.

"Nice of you to finally get here Deeks." Roberts knelt on the ground with his arm around Monty's neck, the dog whining as he struggled to get loose. Roberts shook him and Deeks took a step forward, furious that the man was scaring his furry buddy. He paused again when Roberts other hand came up and put a knife to the dog's throat. "You stay right there, or I'll slit his throat before you can get anywhere near me."

Deeks stopped and said. "Please, Mark, don't hurt him! He hasn't done anything to you, it's me you want."

"This is your fault! He wouldn't be in trouble if it weren't for you. Everything that's wrong is because of you."

"It's not Mark, it's because of Carrington. He put those thoughts in your head, you know he did."

Roberts's eyes went distant. "I've called him and called him. He won't take my calls or call me back. I must have left over 50 messages. I know he's getting them, or his mailbox would be full. How could he do that to me after everything I've done for him?"

Trying to keep him talking, Deeks said. "He's a self-centered jerk. He used you and then threw you away when you weren't of any use to him anymore. He isn't worth your loyalty. It's time to think for yourself, Mark." He used Roberts first name again, trying to make a connection.

Robert's lips pulled back. "You saying I can't think for myself? Who's holding your dog right now, huh?"

"That's true. You must have had a really good plan. I'm impressed! How did you get him to come to you anyway?" Making conversation, flattering him a little, anything to keep him from doing what he threatened.

"I've been watching the lot of you all day. I know the brunette in the wheelchair means something to you. Sadly, she was never alone so I couldn't get to her." Deeks shivered a little to think of him watching Kensi. "The dog was obviously yours, so I made my plans. A little trail of meat here and there. He followed it right to me. Stupid dog wagged his tail all the way." He tightened his arm around Monty's neck and he yelped. Deeks automatically moved closer and Roberts reared his head, stopping him in his tracks.

Deeks put up his hands and begged. "Let him go and I'll do whatever you want. I'll go with you. I'll quit the program. I'll tell Mac, Sheppard, anyone who'll listen, that you were right about me all along and that you should be allowed back in. Anything you want!" His voice came out shakier than he would have liked. He loved Monty and would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to the dog who loved him back unconditionally, just because of him.

Roberts tipped his head at him and abruptly stood up, pulling Monty up by the throat so the dog dangled off the ground. "You took everything from me and now I'm going to take something you love from you."

Deeks lunged forward. "No!"

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	16. Chapter 16

A/N – Sorry for the delay! Now into the fourth week of bronchitis, much better now but still coughing. Didn't have the energy to sit down and write before this weekend. When I tried, nothing happened, except maybe a sneeze or two.

A/N2 – I know nothing about foreign intelligence agencies and relied heavily on Wikipedia. All credit to them for anything I used, also all blame if anything is wrong. 😉

A/N3 – Many thanks to honus47 for being my beta, my sounding board and my friend!

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Chapter 16

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Phil slid the last burger off the grill and onto the waiting plate, watching with a smile as it was whisked away to join the rest of the food on the groaning tables. The smile dimmed a little as he realized he hadn't seen Marty for a while. He'd expected the other man to be at his side, critiquing his grilling skills and swiping the piping hot food for his own, or at least for Kensi. He scanned the groups of people spread out over the grass and at the tables, not seeing the floppy blonde hair anywhere and his stomach tightened a little. He found Kensi where Deeks had left her and noticed she seemed preoccupied, staring off into the woods. His feet headed in that direction without any conscious thought.

"Hey Kensi, where's that reprobate boyfriend of yours?"

It took a second for his question to register and Kensi tore her eyes away from where Deeks had disappeared into the woods and her eyes met his. The worry in them was clear. He should have been back by now. Monty may have a mind of his own, but he obeyed Deeks at all times. "What? Oh, he went after Monty."

"Where?"

"Into the woods. It's not like that dog to go far from either of us. He's good like that. Deeks has him chipped because Monty used to work undercover with him. He was always afraid they'd get separated if things went sideways and he wanted a way to locate him if that ever happened. When we couldn't find him, he used the online site to track him. He was in the woods and Deeks went to get him." She paused and then voiced what was bothering her. "They should've been back by now." She cursed her useless legs that wouldn't allow her to go after him herself. Phil sensed that and leaned down to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll go find them and pull them away from whatever field of daisies they've lost themselves in." As a joke, it fell flat because each knew the other was worried.

"I wish I could…." She started.

Phil interrupted her, he knew how it felt to be sidelined with an injury while people he cared about, his brothers and sisters in arms, were in danger. "I know. Keep the candle lit, we'll be back. My wife and kids are dying to meet you, even if it is just by video. I'm not about to let him get out of that!"

"Thank you. You're a good friend Phil."

"I'm just the truant officer today, nothing special." They smiled at each other, but it didn't reach either of their eyes, the dust up with Roberts too fresh in their minds. Phil straightened up and headed in the direction Kensi pointed out.

Once at the wooded area, he scanned the ground and found fresh footprints. He followed them quietly, not really knowing why he'd gone into stealth mode but every instinct telling him it was the right thing to do. He listened hard and finally heard voices, although he couldn't make out the words yet. He continued to silently work his way towards them and was stunned when he spotted them through the trees. Roberts had Monty held up off the ground by the throat and had a knife in his free hand, poised to slit the dog's throat. Deeks stood in front of them, hands in the air as he begged for his dog's life. He waited, knowing he might make things worse if he barged in on them. He started working his way around the three of them, desperately searching for a spot from where he could take Roberts out and not get either his friend or the dog hurt.

When he heard Roberts say, "You took everything from me and now I'm going to take something you love from you." he knew they were out of time and burst out of his hiding spot.

At the same time, Deeks lunged forward screaming. "No!"

At this point, Monty had had enough and buried his teeth into the hand freely waving around in front of him and held on for all he was worth. Roberts dropped the knife and screamed. "Get it off! Get it off!" He shook the hand, but the dog refused to let go. He didn't understand what was going on, but the man had hurt him, and he'd heard the fear in his human's voice. He knew it was the man holding him that had caused all of it and he had no intention of letting go.

Deeks stopped, his mouth open as he watched Roberts dance around with the dog dangling off the end of his arm. He fought down a hysterical urge to laugh. Phil came bursting in and stopped as well. The two exchanged glances and Phil's eyebrows disappeared up in to his hairline. Deeks swallowed hard, knowing that it wouldn't take long for the shock to wear off and Roberts could seriously hurt Monty when that happened.

"Monty! Release!" He shouted. The dog immediately let go and dropped to the ground. He limped quickly to Deeks's side, turned and bared his teeth at his tormentor, growling low in his throat.

Roberts started forward. "I'll have that dog…"

Phil interrupted before he could say it, saying coldly. "If you _dare_ say you'll have him put down for attacking you, just remember that I'm a witness to the fact that you were threatening both Deeks and his dog. With a knife!" He held up the knife he'd just picked up off the ground from where Roberts had dropped it, using the cuff of his sleeve to avoid adding his fingerprints. "I'm sure the cops will be able to tell that the only prints on this are yours." His tone was fierce and full of derision.

Roberts huffed for a moment and then seemed to deflate. He took a step backwards, and when neither man followed, he turned, his head lowered. He started to walk slowly away, cradling his injured hand to his chest.

"Mark." Deeks said softly. The other man stopped but didn't turn. "I never wanted to be your enemy. I have enough of those."

Roberts snorted but still didn't turn. "Yeah, right, Mr. Popularity has enemies!"

"Look, I was a Public Defender in LA for a few years. There are still people who blame me that their loved one went to jail, convinced that they could never have done the things the Prosecutor said they did, regardless of the fact that there was a video of said loved one holding a gun to the head of some poor scared to death clerk at a convenience store, all to score the hundred or so bucks in the cash register. I'm sure that there were some who weren't guilty, but that's the only justice system we have. Once I became a cop, it got worse. I was the reason someone was going to prison. I had to have set their loved one up, framed them for whatever crime, for whatever reason. Not to mention the perps I put away, some thinking they were above the law, like gang members." He didn't even want to think about the ones he'd made since he joined NCIS, some of those were international. "So, yes, I have enemies. I never wanted one of them to be you." He said again.

"You're the reason I'm not going to be an agent!" The tone was still belligerent causing Deeks to close his eyes and sigh.

"No, Mark, I'm not. That's on Carrington." He wondered how many times he'd said that already. "Please, think about this if you do nothing else. He's not returning your calls even though you know he's getting your messages. He's done nothing to help you, putting all this on you. I know his type, he's going to deny ever saying anything to you about me. He's going to say he couldn't pick you out of a lineup if his life depended on it and that he has no idea how you got his cell number. I bet he never called you, never left any trace behind. The only time he ever told you anything, was in person and that can't be proved. It's a he said, he said thing where he's the agent and you're the one who just got booted out of the program. Do yourself a favor, walk away before you end up in jail or a psych ward. And…maybe find someone to talk to, someone who won't judge you." Roberts started to turn at that last comment but stopped when Monty growled louder. Instead, he just shrugged and walked away.

"And see a doctor! That bite could get infected!" Deeks yelled after him as he disappeared into the foliage.

"We shouldn't just let him go!" Phil said, starting after him.

Deeks put a hand out and stopped him. "We're not the law, we can't arrest him."

"Citizen's arrest!"

"Don't you think he's lost enough? Carrington will bury him if that's what he thinks it will take to save his ass in this whole fubar situation." Deeks just sounded tired. Unbeknownst to either of them, Roberts hadn't gone far, stopping just out of sight. He heard their conversation and decided to think hard on what Deeks had said. He still didn't think the other man had what it took to be an agent and still blamed him for his own dismal ending, but he was surprised to hear the man he despised advocate for him. Yes, he would think hard on what had been said. First, though, he needed to get his hand tended to. He blindly continued walking, instinctively heading back to where he'd left his car, not sure what to do.

The two men and the dog he left behind, turned and made their own way back to their friends and family. Both of them made much of Monty, calling him a hero. The dog may not have been able to understand the words, but he understood the tone, so he strutted and pranced as he led them back to where they were supposed to be.

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Kensi almost sagged in relief when the three emerged from the woods. She was going to give Deeks a piece of her mind for making her worry, even as she scanned him for damage. When Phil walked by without a word and opened his cooler, dropping something inside, she tilted her head at Deeks and lifted an eyebrow. He mouthed "I'll tell you later." and watched his friend, worried that he'd alienated him by not pursuing Roberts. When Phil returned to the group surrounding Kensi, he searched his eyes and got an answering smile, lifting a weight off his shoulders.

"I may not agree with all of it, but I understand it. Doesn't mean I won't keep the evidence on ice in case we need it later." Phil said quietly.

"Good to know." Deeks responded and Kensi huffed out a laugh at the stock phrase. "What?"

"You need a new tagline." She responded, trying to keep it light.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said with a straight face.

"As if."

Deeks opened his mouth to retort when Phil intervened. "Okay, it's time to video chat with the fam." He called out to the crowd. "HEY! I'm about to facetime the wife and kids! Everyone over here and say hi!" When only the NCIS group headed his way, he yelled out again. "That means all of you! Including everyone we met today!" With lots of laughter, the very large group surrounded the blanket Kensi, Sofia, Selina and Amanda were sitting on. Phil pulled out his iPhone, opened the app and sent his request. When Christine answered, she, Rebecca and Matthew stared open mouthed at the large group Phil was panning the phone at.

"Hey baby! Kids! How're you doing?"

Christine stumbled through her answer. "We're…we're fine! I thought this was going to be a small gathering of some people you met and made friends with?"

"Well, it is. It just might have…. grown a bit." He held up the phone a little higher and yelled out. "Everyone say hi to the family!"

"HI FAMILY!" Came the resulting roar.

"HI!" Shouted Phil's family, getting into the spirit of things. Most people wandered away, the core group staying for personal introductions. They were each introduced and had their say, heading back to whatever they were doing when the chatting started. Phil left Kensi and Deeks for last.

"Last, but not least, this is Kensi and Deeks." He panned the phone to the pair who had their heads together, smiling.

"Hi Christine, Rebecca and Matthew! I've heard a lot about you!" Deeks said, waving at the camera.

"What he said!" Kensi added, waving as well.

"I'm so happy to meet you two! Phil's told us so much about you too." Christine replied.

"Uh, okay, only believe half of that and take the remaining half with a grain of salt! I'm not all that bad!" Deeks said.

Christine smiled and then the smile slipped away. "I've never seen my Phil take to someone as quickly as he did to you. We were worried about him being down there all alone. His whole life, he's been surrounded by family, first his biological one and then the one he forged in combat. We're all so glad he has you!"

"He's been family since day one and you'll never have to worry about him being alone here." Deeks said seriously.

"I can tell." Christine sounded like she was going to cry.

"Now, now, none of that! This is a happy occasion and we're all having a blast!" Phil said. She laughed at him and they spent the next few minutes getting to know each other. When Matthew heard that Kensi knew someone who had once taken down the internet, he almost peed himself. She took his number and said she'd ask Eric if he'd mind connecting with another computer geek. The talk was fast and light and quickly it was time to say goodbye. They all exchanged numbers and finally hung up. Phil stood up and walked away. Deeks followed him with his eyes.

"Go." Kensi said. Without asking what she meant, he stood up and moved up beside his friend.

"You'll see them soon." He said quietly, not making eye contact, both staring into the distance.

"I know, but I'm so tired of being away from them. What if I don't get the assignment I want? What if I have to continue to be away from them for weeks on end? Somewhere across the country? On a ship somewhere out to sea?"

"Where's that vaunted SEAL positiveness? I thought you were sure you'd be assigned close to home?"

"Who am I fooling? I'll be the newbie, assigned to wherever there's an open spot."

Deeks decided there and then to make a call, to beg, cajole or threaten Hetty and Granger to make sure his friend got his desired assignment. Phil was family and that's what you did for family.

"Come on, let's get something to eat! I'm starving!" Deeks said, clapping Phil on the back, letting him know he understood and was pulling for him.

"Hah, if you hadn't gone traipsing around in the woods, you would have been fed already!"

"Well, I did, and I wasn't, so let's get this show on the road!"

They both laughed, the moment over but not forgotten as they headed towards the tables. Deeks loaded up for himself and then picked out what he knew Kensi liked, pouring copious amounts of relish on both two hotdogs and two cheeseburgers for her, while Phil gagged in the background. He added green and black olives, along with a couple deviled eggs and knew he'd have a hit when he got back to the blanket. Not to be forgotten, he added a cheeseburger, sans roll, for Monty.

"Think you have enough?" Phil asked with a smile.

"Hey! I'm feeding three here!"

"Uh huh."

"I am!" They laughed as they made their way back to the blanket. Kensi eagerly took her plate and started to motor through what he'd brought her, to the open amazement of all but Deeks, who was feeding Monty his cheeseburger. When she was about half way through, she looked up to find five sets of eyes on her.

"What?"

Deeks looked up from Monty and eyed her plate. Concerned, he said. "You okay babe? You're not eating much. Is there something else you want?" The group swiveled their stunned collective eyes from her to him, although both were oblivious.

"I'm fine. Your _friends_ are looking at me weird!"

He looked at them, as each made their best attempt at a completely innocent face, pretending not to have witnessed the most impressive scarfing of food they'd ever seen.

"Define weird?"

"Weird, Deeks, weird!"

"Ooookkkkaaaayyyy. You guys have a problem?"

"No."

"Nope."

"None."

"No idea what you're talking about."

"Uh uh." Came the replies. Deeks looked back at her and shrugged. She shrugged in return and went back to finishing her plate. Independently, they all decided they adored Kensi and the afternoon went on. Fun was had on all sides and it was a sad group as they started to clean up as the sun began to set. Numbers were exchanged amongst those that had hit it off, the locals deciding that having an NCIS training group on site wasn't all that bad.

It was just getting to be dark when Deeks settled Monty and Kensi into the van, with Phil's help. When he closed the doors, Deeks turned to his friend. "Thank you for coming after us. I'm not sure how it would have turned out if you hadn't been there, if you hadn't had the foresight to pick up the knife."

"It probably would've turned out the same." Phil responded and then paused. "You're a good guy, Marty Deeks."

"You too, Phil Johnstone."

They shook hands and did the bro hug. Tomorrow was Sunday and Monday promised another class and another challenge.

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The last weeks of class went much better without the constant worry about Roberts. For his part, Carrington seemed to be lying low. As Deeks had expected, he'd denied having anything to do with Roberts fixating on Deeks. The investigation had petered out and Carrington was never even reprimanded as there was no concrete proof. No one had seen a sign of Roberts since the day in the woods. Deeks had brought Kensi up to speed on the incident on their ride home from the barbeque and she'd been furious, agreeing with Phil that they shouldn't have let him just walk away then insisted on getting Nell and Eric involved. The two had been tracking the other man and it appeared he'd gone home to Baltimore and hadn't shown up on their radar since.

Deeks helped his classmates through the crime scene classes, including blood pattern analysis and collecting crime scene evidence and Phil helped with the forensics classes and the IED one. Even taking it a second time and having actually used what he'd learned from that first time to disarm an entire building, Deeks needed the help. He wondered what his friends would think if he told them he'd dangled off one of the top floors of the tall office building, trying to get a signal out to ops so they could get the schematics of the bomb to him. He'd lost focus when he remembered how close they'd come to losing Callen on that case.

The class on the human body as a crime scene had some of the trainees almost passing out, much to the amusement of both cop and SEAL. Part of the class involved watching an autopsy and they both felt for them as they watched more than one of their friends lose their lunch. Deeks had attended autopsies before and vividly remembered his first, so didn't make fun of anyone, just offering quiet encouragement. He became the coroner's favorite trainee when he asked intelligent questions and correctly answered more than a few that were asked of them. When they advanced to wound analysis, most had become seasoned enough to only turn a little green. They all wondered at the people who'd willed their bodies to be used in such a way after death, leading to some very philosophical early morning conversations, garnering more than a few sideways glances from other patrons at the coffee shop as people edged away from them.

The one on recovery of human remains and forensic entomology had a different effect on Phil. Who knew the Seal was entomophobic? The first time he was faced with having to collect maggots off a bloated corpse at the body farm, the big man had been pale and sweaty. He'd worked hard and got past it, mostly. Surprisingly, it was John who got them through the advanced crime scene photography class, turning out to be a closet photo bug. He'd shyly shared some of his pictures with his friends and they were stunned at the beauty of them, several commenting that he was missing his true calling. He quietly responded that he didn't want to turn something he loved into an everyday job, worried it would take the joy out of it.

The class on surveillance was easy for both Deeks and Phil but some of their classmates were less than…sneaky. Sofia barely passed as she was made every time. Deeks coached her after class every day until she finally succeeded on her last try. She was last in class but just relieved she'd passed. The class on vehicle handing was by far the most fun as both Deeks and Phil vied for which city had the worst reputation for offensive driving, Phil claiming 'Massholes' knew how to get from point A to point B while pissing off the largest number of people. Deeks maintained that Los Angelinos took the trophy. In the end, they agreed to disagree. Surprisingly, not one of them totaled a car or were injured in a crash. By the end of the program, they were all a little tired and their friendships were firmly in place.

They all passed the Criminal Investigators Training Program (CITP) with Deeks and Phil being first and second in class. Moving onto Special Agent Basic Training Program (SABTP) was exciting as the end was in sight. That was until they were introduced to NCIS report writing and agency manuals. When more than one had complained about the monotony, Deeks had laughed. He'd had years of writing these reports for OSP, along with the corresponding ones for LAPD. His knowledge of the agency manual had more than one person, including the instructor, eyeing him suspiciously, to which he'd just claimed a good memory and being a fast reader.

The last class before graduation was on foreign counterintelligence and no one was happy to see that Carrington was the instructor. Luckily it was only three days. He strutted into the class on the first day and immediately singled Deeks out once again, oblivious to the coldness shown him by the rest of the trainees. By now, everyone knew why Roberts had had such an issue with Deeks and were furious that the agent had suffered no repercussions. Carrington showed his lack of teaching talent as he droned on and on about the various agencies from around the world. Most rolled their eyes behind his back and yawned widely in his face, something that did not sit well with the older agent, convinced that Deeks was somehow behind it.

He took great pleasure in throwing out the acronyms of various agencies and shaking his head in disgust if no one knew what he was talking about. Deeks knew each of them. Hell, he'd fought against or worked with, several of the alphabet soup Carrington spouted. Still, he kept his mouth shut and his head down, determined that the arrogant agent would have no cause to add more black marks to his name. He succeeded until the instructor started to focus on John, working hard to undermine his newly found confidence in himself. He watched his young friend wilt under the onslaught and changed his tactics. Deciding to bring the focus of attention back to him, he started to answer every one of the agent's snide questions.

"I know most of you are probably familiar with the KGB, Russia's most famous intelligence agency and one that most people around the world recognize, but how many know where it stands today?" Carrington waited, fully expecting no one to answer.

"The KGB operated from 1954 until it broke up in 1991. Its main functions were foreign intelligence, counter-intelligence, guarding the Border of the then USSR, guarding the leadership of the Soviet Government, as well as combating dissent and anti-Soviet activities. Its successor was the GRU which is the main foreign military intelligence agency of the Russian military command, unlike other security and intelligence agencies such as the SVR, the FSB, and the FSO, whose heads report directly to the president of Russia. Still, they didn't grow out of the KGB as they were already in existence, and a rival, prior to the creation of that agency but were known at that time as the RU." Deeks responded. He still had bitter feelings towards that agency after they took Kensi and stuck her in a room with a bomb, all for an old book full of intelligence that could mostly be found on google.

Carrington stared at him, open mouthed and he wasn't the only one. This was the first time Deeks had spoken up in class and his response was concise. He was actually parroting back what Sam and Callen had drilled into his head over the years. The senior agents had made sure their LAPD Liaison was well versed in other countries intelligence agencies, convinced that he'd cause an international incident at some point or another.

"Yes, well, that is accurate to a point." Deeks raised an eyebrow and Carrington ignored him. "Now, many of our allies have their own intelligence agencies that operate around the world, including here in the United States. For example, France has several agencies. Can anyone name the one that deals with National Security?"

Deeks didn't bother to raise his hand, he just responded to the blanket question. "Actually, the French foreign intelligence agency is split into two. The _Direction générale de la sécurité extérieur_ , otherwise known as the DGSE and the _Direction de la protection et de la sécurité de la défense_ , known as DPSD. Their domestic counterpart is the _Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure_ , or the DGSI." He was actually rather proud of his pronunciation. "The DGSE and DPSD are similar to the US's CIA and Britain's MI6 and both operate under the direction of the French Ministry of Defense and tasked with providing intelligence and safeguarding national security."

Carrington frowned, not sure if Deeks were trying to undermine him or show him up in some way. "You seem to know a lot about foreign intelligence agencies, _Mr_. Deeks. Would you care to explain exactly why that is?" His meaning was clear.

Deadpan, Deeks responded. "I like spy novels."

Carrington huffed out a disbelieving laugh. "Are you trying to tell us that you learned that much information from reading spy novels?"

"Wikipedia."

"Wikipedia?"

"Yes. When I read a book, any book, and there's information in it that interests me, I research it. Both to find out how accurate the author is and to understand what I'm reading."

"Well, do enlighten us, please."

"I'm sorry?"

"Teach us about the foreign intelligence agencies we deal with on a daily basis."

"Hmmm, let's see." He marshalled his thoughts, recalling both the various agencies they'd interacted with and the on the job training he'd received over the years. "There's the People's Republic of China Ministry of State Security or MSS. Their main responsibility is counter-intelligence, foreign intelligence and political security. In Cuba, it's the DGI or Directorate of Intelligence and it's the General Intelligence Directorate or GID in Egypt. Germany has the Federal Intelligence Service or BND as well as the Military Counterintelligence Service within the BND, nicknamed MAD." He paused and was rewarded with the expected snicker from the other trainees. "Germany has others including one responsible for Cyber and Information Space which goes by the acronym of KSA. South Korea has their National Intelligence Service or NIS. The list goes on. Every country has their own version of our CIA to protect their interests. Some of which don't gel with ours." He thought about Thapa. "Even the small country of Nepal has theirs, the Directorate of Military Intelligence or DMI."

"Nepal? Please."

"Yes, Nepal."

Carrington tried to play to the room. "I'm sure we're all shaking in our shoes, worried about some tiny Nepalese agent infiltrating our defenses." He laughed mockingly.

"I wouldn't want to face a Gurkha on a mission. A khukuri can take a man's head off his shoulders with one swipe."

"I'm sorry, a what?"

"A khukuri. It has an inwardly curved blade, similar to a machete and is the main weapon of the Gurkhas, a Nepalese troop of soldiers who are feared in many places around the world." He'd seen a khukuri in action up close and personal. He didn't mention that he had one at home. When Thapa had died protecting Sam, he'd accompanied the body back to Nepal on his own dime. Thapa's family had welcomed him, even in their pain and sadness. The connection he'd felt with the wise, funny and wily man had apparently gone both ways and he'd told his family about Deeks. He'd returned the knife and they, in turn, had presented it back to him in a small private ceremony where he mourned the senseless loss of someone he'd come to count as a mentor. His last words to look for him in the smiles of those he met, had resonated with him. He started when he realized he'd missed what Carrington had been saying.

"I'm sorry?"

"If you can't even pay attention in class, Mr. Deeks, perhaps you should reconsider becoming an agent." Carrington was gleeful, planning on using his inattentiveness against him.

"I have been paying attention Agent Carrington. I simply missed one part of the conversation."

"Well, I have no intention of repeating myself. You'll just need to hope it won't be on the exam."

"Exam?" Most of the classes had been performance evaluated. This was the first time he, or anyone else in the class, judging by the groans, had heard of an exam for this one.

"Yes, an exam." The agent crowed. Around the room, people sat up and began to furiously take notes as they tried to remember all the information the boring man had presented. "The exam will be held on the last day of this class, which also coincides with the last day of this program. This class can make or break you. Remember that." He puffed up with self-importance and Deeks fought to not let his disbelief show up on his face. He knew this class wouldn't be weighted that high in the grand scheme of things, as they'd all done quite well in all their classes and no one was in danger of not graduating.

Carrington looked at his watch. "We'll break for lunch. Be back here in one hour, not one minute later!" He glared at Deeks and then turned his back on the class, secure in his belief that they were all shaking in their shoes. Deeks just shook his head and stood up, meeting Phil's eyes as he turned to leave. The Seal quirked an eyebrow and he just shrugged in response.

"Let's get lunch in the cafeteria." Phil said. His friend nodded in response and they left the room. Outside, several other trainees waited for them, along with his regular crew. Tony Forrester was one of them. He looked back into the room at Carrington shuffling papers on the lectern and frowned.

Turning to Deeks, he said. "I agree with Carrington on one thing. You seem to know a lot about foreign counterintelligence. I hate to admit that I wasn't paying much attention in there." He paused. "Do you think you could fill us in on some of the things we missed?"

Deeks smiled. He would like nothing better than to make sure each and everyone of them passed Carrington's little test with flying colors. "Sure. We're heading to the cafeteria for lunch, anyone who wants to can join us there." He turned and lead quite a crowd to lunch where he spent most of the next hour reviewing everything the instructor had said as they all took furious notes. Deeks's delivery was not as dry as Carrington's and every one of them enjoyed the impromptu class. They were all early back to class.

That afternoon, everyone paid attention and again took notes, Deeks included. He didn't really need them but figured not taking them would only add fuel to the fire. This time Carrington didn't challenge him to display his knowledge and he didn't volunteer. They met again when class was over to review the afternoon session. He filled Kensi in that night, glossing over the animosity and playing up how he'd been able to answer all Carrington's questions, stating it proved he'd been paying attention to the information their senior agents had force fed him over the years, no matter what they believed. She'd laughed with him although she knew he wasn't telling her everything. Then again, neither was she.

The next day followed the same pattern. When the day finally dragged to a close and they only had one more to get through before it was finally over, and they officially became NCIS agents, Carrington reminded them that the next day would consist of the exam and that they would have all day to take it. That he'd imparted all his vast knowledge to them and it was up to them to remember it all, sure that it would take every minute they had available to complete it. As they were leaving, Lucas Sheppard stepped forward from where he'd been waiting for class to end.

"Can I borrow you for a second Deeks?"

"Sure, Agent Sheppard." Deeks turned and said to the waiting group. "Go on ahead, I'll meet you in the caf." Everyone left except Phil, Charlie and Amanda, the others looking back with worry.

Sheppard smiled at the three. "Don't worry, he's not in any trouble. I just wanted to check in to see how things were going." He was actually one of several who'd wanted to represent the group of instructors who were keeping an eye on the situation. He'd won the honor when he drew the long straw. His mission was to check in on how things were going and report back to his fellow instructors who were waiting for him in Mac's gym.

"Things are fine, going very well in fact." Deeks responded. Phil snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, Charlie and Amanda doing the same without even realizing it. He frowned at them and looked back at Sheppard. "Really, things are good."

"Yeah, right. Like Carrington hasn't tried to trip you up left and right from the first minute of the first day of class." Phil said as the tacit spokesperson for the trio.

"He's hardly singling me out, Phil. If anyone should be pissed, it should be John."

"Until you took the heat off him and showed him up."

Sheppard perked up. "Showed him up?"

"Yeah, apparently Agent Deeks here is a fount of information on foreign intelligence. Carrington tried to show him up and lost." Charlie said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yeah! It was amazing! He's like a walking encyclopedia of acronyms and agencies." Amanda said with pride.

Sheppard raised an eyebrow at him and Deeks shrugged. "I read a lot."

"Uh huh." He knew there was something else but it whatever it was, it didn't worry him. He had a sneaking suspicion that Deeks knew a hell of a lot more about NCIS than he let on. He'd tried to do some quiet investigating on the ex-detective but couldn't find anything on him beyond what Deeks had told him. Unbeknownst to him, his inquires had raised red flags at OSP and the wonder twins had made sure that what he found was as innocuous as possible. Deeks had told them about Sheppard and the rest so they'd not been all that worried and didn't bother to tell their friend about the gentle probing.

"Yes."

"Good. Then I expect the next time I see you…all of you…will be at your graduation. Congratulations on being one of the best classes to pass through the program."

"Thank you, sir." Phil said with a smile. Sheppard nodded and headed off to the gym, a bit worried about what Deeks's friends had told him. The others concurred when he finished his recitation, but there wasn't much they could do.

The day of the exam dawned grey and raw, which fit most of the trainee's moods. The exam was extensive and tricky as Carrington was obviously trying to trip them up. Deeks finished quickly and reread through the exam, paying closer attention to what was asked. He changed several answers as he realized he'd taken the question at face value. Still done before anyone else, he resisted being the first one to hand in his test and went through it again and then again. He was satisfied he'd answered everything correctly but was sure Carrington would somehow find fault with much of it. He sighed as he concluded that there was nothing much he could do about it. He'd done his best and that was all he could do. Finally, Wenjie stood up and turned his test in. He turned and met Deeks's eye, giving a thumbs up out of sight of the instructor. Deeks nodded but didn't smile, catching Carrington watching them. He decided to go through his test one more time and lowered his head to do so. Eventually he was the fourth one to turn in his test, behind Amanda and Phil. Carrington had informed them that they'd get their scores the next day.

They'd agreed earlier to meet up at the bar where they'd had their night out and he headed there to find Wenjie, Phil and Amanda holding a large table in the fairly empty room. They compared notes, and all agreed they had done the best they could. The rest of the trainees straggled in, some sure they'd failed but all thanking Deeks for taking the time to give them the extra tutelage. The night went quickly as the strain fell away and they celebrated it being done, talking about the upcoming graduation and who had who coming to the ceremony. Deeks was planning on bringing Kensi with him and kind of hoped either Granger or Hetty would show up, although that would pretty much out him to his friends. He wanted them to see that their confidence in him had been warranted. They broke up at a reasonable time and went their separate ways. Deeks stopped at the hospital for a short visit, where Kensi showed him just how proud she was of him.

He went home and slept fitfully, waking up early and checking his email for the results of the exam. Somehow, he wasn't surprised when it was less than stellar. He hadn't failed, barely. He shook his head but then perked up. It was over, and he would, hopefully, never have to deal with the man again. He blinked a couple times when it finally hit him. For all intents and purposes, he was an NCIS agent.

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	17. Chapter 17

A/N - Sorry for the long delay. Took me three weeks to get over Bronchitis and just when I started feeling better the hubby contracted shingles. Sigh...

A/N2 - This one is a bit shorter as it and the next chapter were supposed to be one and it got away from me. Thanks to honus47 for finding my mistakes!

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Chapter 17

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Hetty allowed a small smile to grace her face as her cellphone rang and she read the caller id. She put her morning cup of tea down on her desk and answered. "Good morning, Mr. Deeks. Or should I say, Agent Deeks? Congratulations on being second in your class." She really was inordinately proud of his success, as she knew the rest of OSP would be. She was aware that Miss. Jones and Mr. Beale were in the know and had allowed them their small conceit of believing they were putting one over on her. She'd also known about the issues with Carrington and Roberts but had allowed that to play out until her interference was deemed necessary. Luckily, it hadn't gotten to that.

"How…? Never mind, I don't want to know." He'd just found out his ranking a few short hours ago. He and Phil had been neck and neck, with him keeping a small lead through the last few classes, but Carrington's low grading of him had given Phil the upper hand. Not that he cared, he was proud of his friend and intended to use that first in class ranking as one more reason why Hetty and Granger should agree to his request for a favor. "Thank you." He paused.

"I'm assuming you have a reason for this early morning call?" The three-hour time difference made this fairly early in L.A. The building was still pretty empty as the night crew had just left and the day crew had yet to appear. There were no big cases on deck at that moment and she hoped it would stay that way for the next few days as she was planning on taking her premier team to the graduation, something she didn't plan on sharing with her newest agent.

"Yeah, yeah I do. Look, Hetty, I'd like to ask a really big favor of you and Granger. I know I don't really have the right after everything you've both already done for me but…"

"Ask Mr. Deeks. I cannot say yes or no until I know what it is you're asking."

"Right, sorry. Look, I've made some really good friends here and one of them has become more like a brother. He's a good man, a retired Seal, a family man, and he's first in our class. He's really hoping that he'll be stationed close to home as he's spent a long time away from them over the years, serving his country." He hoped he wasn't laying it on too thick. "I'd like to ask if there's anything you can do to make sure that happens? I'll do anything you ask in return. Anything." He crossed his fingers as he said it. He meant it, for the most part. Thing was? With Henrietta Lange one never knew what that anything could end up being.

"I believe both Owen and I would be pleased to put in a word for Mr. Johnstone. I would imagine that NCISRU at Devens, MA, would be his first choice?" There was silence on the other end. "Mr. Deeks?"

"How…have you been keeping tabs on me?" He should be angry, but he was actually kind of pleased that she cared enough. Hetty looked up as Nell and Eric entered, waving a good morning to them as they disappeared up the stairs to their lair. She waited until they were out of hearing before continuing.

"Of course, Mr. Deeks. You're one of mine and always will be. Mr. Johnstone sounds like a good man, one any NCIS office would be proud to count as one of their own. I know the Agent in Charge there, I'll make a couple of calls today."

"You will? Thank you Hetty! I really do appreciate this." He could picture the look on Phil's face when he got his assignment, the relief and happiness would be worth anything he had to do in return.

"I know, and I _will_ hold you to your offer." She could picture the expression on his face and had to stifle a chuckle. "How's Miss. Blye doing?" She knew, of course, but wanted to hear his take on it.

"She's doing great! I think she'll be walking before we know it!"

Hetty frowned. Her intel told her Miss. Blye had already progressed to that point but she assumed the young woman had a reason for keeping that from Mr. Deeks. "That's good to hear. I'm sure she's been working hard towards that end." She made the decision to contact her agent when this call ended, to see if she could worm her reasoning from the young woman as well as filling her in on what she had planned.

"She really has! You should be proud of her Hetty, all of you should be!"

"We are, Mr. Deeks, believe me, we are. Proud of both of you." She heard the door to the Mission open and the voices of Mr. Hanna and Mr. Callen, bickering per usual, over some inane thing or another, today it appeared to be the merits of golf as a sport. "The rest of your team has just arrived for the day. Would you like to speak with them?"

"Not today, I'm not sure I could keep this a surprise from them. I'm too excited. Hetty?"

"Yes, Mr. Deeks?"

"I did it. I did it on my own and I did it well."

"Indeed, you did, and I know your team will not be surprised by that when you finally tell them."

Deeks laughed. "Even Sam?"

"Especially Sam. He may ride you, but he knows your worth to this team. We all do. He and Mr. Callen did not follow you to Mexico to make sure you stayed there."

"I know." And deep down he did, he just had a hard time believing it sometimes. He flashed to the discussion with Reuben over tequila on the deck of the boat and pushed it away. Thoughts of his father were not going to ruin this for him, not today, not ever. Not if he had anything to do with it.

"Now, I believe you have a few days to yourself before the graduation, go and enjoy them. And, Mr. Deeks, congratulations once again." Graduation was scheduled for the coming Saturday afternoon and she and Director Vance had some surprises in store for him.

"Thanks Hetty." They said their goodbyes and hung up. She tapped one finger against the phone for a minute and decided to forego her call to Miss. Blye for the moment. Reaching out to her desk phone, she punched in the code for Ops. "Miss. Jones, could you and Mr. Beale please join me downstairs?" At the affirmative answer, she hung up. Standing, she made her way to the bullpen where half of her premier team was settling in for the day.

"Good morning Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna." She heard the clatter of footsteps running down the stairs behind her and smiled. When Owen sauntered in a moment later, she nodded to herself. This would work out well, no need to repeat herself and she was interested to see the interactions between them all as she relayed her request. She would keep her promise to Mr. Deeks to not fill the team in on what he'd been doing, but that didn't mean she didn't have plans of her own.

"Excellent, we're all here. I have a request of all of you. There will be a class graduating NCIS this Saturday and we've been asked to attend by Director Vance." She wasn't exactly lying. She'd told Leon that she planned to bring Mr. Deeks's team to the graduation and he'd been pleased but hadn't actually extended the invitation himself, although he had assisted with the logistics. She'd attempted once to keep him abreast of her detective's progress, only to find out the Director had his own sources of information and was also keeping a close watch on the man. Their opinion of Agent Carrington was discussed, but neither could do much except keep their eyes open and a close watch on how things went. Nothing could be proved, although Leon had hinted that Carrington was under more scrutiny than just that of the Academy.

"A graduation? Hetty, surely there are more important things we could be doing? I mean, that's all the way across the country!" Sam complained. He had plans for this weekend. Nothing that couldn't be postponed, but still. A graduation?

"Understood Mr. Hanna, but this is a 'request' from the Director himself. I believe he would like us to assess several new agents he has his eye on."

Callen stiffened. "You mean to replace Deeks, don't you? Not happening."

"Mr. Callen, Mr. Deeks has made his decision and we must accept that. When Miss. Blye returns, we need another agent to round out the team."

"A newbie? We need an experienced agent." Callen argued.

"We've had _several_ experienced agents come through here in the last few months, none of whom lasted more than a few days. One of whom actually filed a complaint against this office." She'd had to do some fancy footwork to get that one squashed.

"They just didn't fit and some newbie isn't going to either!"

"You were a newbie at one point, were you not?"

"Yeah, but I didn't start out at OSP! Plus, I had experience with other agencies."

"Then you feel it was incorrect to allow Mr. Deeks to 'start' here nine years ago?"

Callen twitched. "That was different. His role was that of Liaison with the LAPD, not as an agent."

"So, you believe that Mr. Deeks was not functioning as an agent during his time with us?"

"No, I mean, no, that's not what I meant." Callen was frustrated. He wanted his team back the way it was, even knowing that it was not going to happen. He just needed more time to work on Deeks to come back.

"Well, we've been requested to go and go we shall." She turned to Nell and Eric. "That includes both of you." She watched her analysts and saw the excitement there. She raised an eyebrow at them and suddenly Mr. Beale was inordinately interested in the lattice work of the wrought iron divider that demarked the bullpen. Nell just narrowed her eyes at Hetty as she processed the request. She knew when the young woman figured it out when a big smile lit up her face. Hetty nodded once and turned back to the team.

"I've taken the liberty of requesting military transport to Hunter Airfield in Savannah on Saturday morning and Director Vance has agreed. We'll drive from there to Glynco for the graduation, returning on Sunday morning."

Sam perked up. "Savannah? Are we going to be there early enough to stop in to see Kensi and Deeks?"

Hetty feigned regretfully shaking her head. "Unfortunately, no, at least not on Saturday. The only transport I could get will only allow us enough time to drive to Glynco, settle into our accommodations and get cleaned up in time for the ceremony. Perhaps on the way home on Sunday."

"Where are we staying, Hetty?" Nell asked.

"I'm made arrangements to borrow a nice home in Brunswick with a lovely view of the ocean. I think you'll all be most pleased."

Sam and Callen exchanged a look. They'd experienced those borrowed homes on more than one occasion and they'd all been bigger than both their homes put together. Maybe the weekend wouldn't be a total loss after all. Sam was already wondering if they could spring Kensi from the hospital and the team could be together for the night. He mentally calculated the distance and knew Deeks wouldn't mind the drive. Hetty hid her smile at the thoughts that crossed the big man's face. He wouldn't admit it, but she knew he missed Deeks as much, if not more, than the rest of them.

"Wheels will be up at 0900 on Saturday, please be sure to be timely. Now, I'm sure all of you have something that needs doing?" Everyone nodded and went their separate ways. Hetty followed Granger into his office when he jerked his head that way. Once inside, she settled into one of the chairs facing his desk.

"Yes, Owen?"

In response, he pulled a document out of his briefcase and handed it to her.

"What's this?"

Granger growled out. "Deeks's exam for his final class."

"How did you get this?"

"You're not the only one with contacts, Henrietta. Read it."

She raised an eyebrow but did as he requested. He waited for the explosion and was disappointed when he only got a sigh when she finished.

"Well?" He asked.

"Well, what?"

"We need to do something about that! Every one of his answers was succinct and correct. I doubt anyone in this building could do better, including you and me. There's no way he should have gotten such a low mark. That exam is what kept him from being first in his class!"

"And what would we do? Can you tell the administration at the Academy that you came by this exam legitimately?"

"We could tell Deeks to ask for it. It's his right."

"I don't think our Mr. Deeks would comply. I talked with him this morning and he doesn't seem perturbed by being relegated to second place. In fact, I would say that he's pleased as it meant a good friend of his took over first place. A friend he's asked me to do a favor for."

"Who and what?" He missed the scruffy surfer, but he was cautious, knowing that the man could have some pretty wild ideas. It had taken days to get the stink of the durian out of the Mission.

"A Mr. Johnstone has apparently become very close to him and he's requested that we pull some strings to get the man assigned to an office close to home."

"That's it?"

"That's it and I've agreed."

"What can I do to help?" Hetty tilted her head and Owen fought to keep a blush from rising to his cheeks. Damn it, he was too old to blush. Instead, he went on the attack. "What? You think you're the only one who can pull something like that off? I know people at offices all over this country and many of them owe me favors."

"NCISRU Devens is where he's hoping to be stationed. And by he, I mean Phillip Johnstone, who, it turns out, has worked with our Mr. Hanna when he was an active member of the Seals. I know the Agent in Charge there and agreed to reach out to her this afternoon."

"I know her too. Between the two of us, I think we can pretty much guarantee Deeks's friend his posting."

"Thank you, Owen, I'll let you know when I put in the call. Right now, I need to reach out to Miss. Blye. Both to tell her the team will be there for Mr. Deeks's graduation and to find out why she's been hiding her ability to stand and walk, albeit with a walker, from him."

"She's what?"

"If I had to hazard a guess, I would assume she's keeping it as a surprise for the graduation. Still, I would like to hear it from her lips." They shared a knowing look as they both remembered how Kensi's lying to Deeks had led to their current situation of the man having no job and had almost led to them losing him permanently. It wasn't that they didn't trust her, they just…needed to be sure.

"I'd like to be party to that conversation as well."

"No time like the present then." Hetty checked her watch to make sure her agent wouldn't be in PT, knowing full well her schedule and then pulled out her cellphone to dial Kensi's number.

"Hi Hetty. What's up?"

"Miss. Blye, I'm here with ADA Granger. I'm going to put you on speaker." She pressed the button and placed the phone on Owen's desk.

"Okay." They could hear the worry in her voice.

"We have some information for you that we'd like you to keep from Mr. Deeks."

"What? Hetty, I promised I wouldn't keep anything from him again."

"You mean like your ability to walk?"

"Oh." Silence was followed by a quiet. "You know about that?"

"I always keep track of my agents, Miss. Blye, you know that. Now, would you care to explain?"

Kensi sighed. "I want to surprise him at graduation. I want to stand on my own two feet to cheer for him when his name is called. He's worked so hard for this, taken such good care of me at the same time. I think it would mean so much to him."

The two in L.A. shared a smile. "I think Mr. Deeks would like that. In addition, I think he'll like the fact that the entire team, including Owen, myself, Mr. Beale and Miss. Jones will be there to cheer him on."

"You will? He'll be thrilled!" She paused. "Is this what you want me to keep from him?"

"Yes. Like you, we would like to surprise him." She didn't add that she had plans to surprise one Agent Carrington at the same time, making sure the man knew Deeks had the support of many people already at NCIS, going up the chain of command all the way to the top. She was well aware of her reputation and was not above using it.

"Well, I can tell you he'll be very surprised." Kensi started to get excited herself. She'd missed her teammates, as well her friends up in ops, although they were in contact quite often. Still, facetime wasn't the same as flesh and blood contact. "When do you get here?"

"We're arriving on Saturday and will see you at the graduation. I'm assuming Mr. Deeks will be driving you? Mr. Hanna and Mr. Callen still have no idea. I've already guessed that Mr. Beale and Miss. Jones are aware of the situation."

"Yeah, Nell and Eric helped Deeks out with a couple things." She didn't elaborate, knowing Deeks wanted as few people as possible to know about what had gone down.

"Yes, keeping track of Mr. Roberts and Agent Carrington was definitely helpful."

Kensi sighed, she didn't even bother to ask. Hetty always seemed to know everything that was going on. "Yeah, they looked into Roberts for us and kept track of him after he was booted out of the program."

"Very well, we'll see you on Saturday."

"Looking forward to it. Hetty?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you, both you and Granger. This has been the best thing we could've done."

"I agree. Not that I haven't tried to get Mr. Deeks to become an agent on more than one previous occasion."

"You did?" Kensi wasn't sure if she was hurt that he'd never told her.

"Yes, your partner is a very stubborn man."

Kensi laughed. "That he is. I'll see you then. Bye." They hung up.

Hetty looked at Owen who smirked as he said. "Well, this should be fun."

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Phil paced back and forth in front of the gate exit at the Savannah airport. Christine and the kids were flying in a few days before graduation, so they could spend some quality time together and then cheer for him when he got his badge. They weren't made of money and hadn't wanted to spend it on him going home or their coming here, until now. He'd missed his family. He wished he could be at the gate to welcome them, but without a ticket, the best he could do was get as close as possible.

He thought about the last few months and was amazed at how things had gone. He'd fully expected to come here, put his head down, maybe make an acquaintance or two, feel lonely as hell and, hopefully, graduate as an NCIS agent. Instead, he'd found one of the best friends he'd ever had and was part of a larger whole. While he'd been lonely at times, it was nowhere near as bad as he'd expected, and he'd had some really good times. He shook his head, still feeling bad that he'd taken first place from Deeks, knowing Carrington had something to do with it. Deeks didn't seem to care, just shrugged and said second place didn't have to make a speech. A comment that had sent Phil into a tizzy until he'd realized his friend was teasing him.

He looked over at said friend, who was lounging against the wall, seemingly engrossed in his phone. He hadn't really needed the company, but he was grateful for it anyway as his excitement ramped up, making it impossible for him to stand in one spot. He was well aware that Deeks was watching him with amusement and he didn't really care. When people started streaming out, he scanned them frantically, finally seeing Christine. She stopped and stared at him until he opened his arms. She ran and leapt into them, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"God, I missed you so much Phil."

He buried his head in her hair and mumbled into it. "I missed you too."

A tug on his sleeve had him lifting his head and he stared into the eyes of his daughter. Damn, she'd grown in just the few months he'd been gone. How many times had he had that thought over the course of her life? He lifted his left arm from around his wife and pulled her into the hug, looking around for his son. Matthew stood there, looking caught between being a man who didn't hug anyone and a boy who just wanted to be close to his dad. He smiled at him and the boy won, wrapping his own arms around the three of them already entwined. Christine finally let go and let her husband give each of his children a full hug. She watched them with a smile and then recognized the man standing against the wall, looking on with a smile but a suspicious moisture in his eyes. She walked up, and he stuck out his hand. She completely ignored it and pulled him into a hug of his own. He quickly reciprocated and wrapped his arms around her.

"Hey, get your own girl." Deeks laughed and let her go when he heard Phil parrot back what he'd said when Phil had hugged Kensi when they'd been introduced. His friend smiled at him. Rebecca and Matthew were next, both hugging their dad's friend, the man they'd only ever seen on a small screen but whose spell they'd fallen under. Greetings over, they made their way to the baggage carousel and waited for their bags. Once all were present and accounted for, they made their way outside. Phil put the luggage in the trunk of his rental car and shook Deeks's hand.

"Thanks for keeping me company, man."

"Eh, had nothing better to do. With Kensi in PT and classes done, I was at loose ends. Besides, this way I got plenty of hugs."

"Right." They smiled at each other, both knowing that their time together was almost at an end. After graduation, Phil would be going home to Medford and Deeks would be taking Kensi back to L.A. The whole country would be between them, but both had promised that they'd stay in touch and meant it. Hetty had called in her favor, with some help from Granger, and Deeks knew where Phil would be stationed, although he hadn't let on. He had no intention of ever telling his friend he'd been responsible for it. That was something he really didn't need to know.

"Uncle Marty?" Rebecca asked.

Deeks's jaw dropped open a little and he felt a warmth flush his body, starting in his belly. "What sweetie?" He squeaked out.

"You and Kensi are going to come visit us some time, aren't you?"

"Of course! I've always wanted to go to Boston. And you guys will come see us in L.A. We'll hit Disneyland!"

"Disney is for kids." Matthew scoffed.

"Must be why it's one of my favorite places on Earth!"

"Well, aren't you just a walking jingle." Phil laughed.

"No, seriously, I love it there. So many rides to go on, so much food to eat! It's a blast."

"Well, if everyone else is going." Matthew said, secretly pleased that he wouldn't be considered a baby for wanting to go.

"Ok, well, we've got a bit of a ride ahead of us. We'll see you for dinner." Phil said. They were going to get settled into Phil's small apartment and then meet at a restaurant half way between them and have dinner, his family along with Kensi and Deeks. He pulled his friend into a bro hug and the family got into the car. Deeks watched them drive away, returning the waves until they were out of sight and then he moved to his own car. He sat for a second, trying to overcome the sadness that had just washed over him. These people had become a family and it was all ending. He sighed and thought about what was ahead of him. He and Kensi would go back to OSP, this time with him being an equal partner. He smiled when he thought of Sam's reaction when he showed up at the Mission, badge in hand. Feeling better, he whistled as he drove towards the hospital and Kensi.

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Dinner was a raucous affair with everyone talking at once, knowing that this would be one of the last times they'd be together, at least here. Deeks had meant it, he planned on both he and Kensi visiting the Johnstone's at some point in the not too distance future. Friends like this didn't come along often and he wasn't willing to let it go. At one point, Deeks got up to use the men's room and Kensi filled them in on the fact that some friends were coming in for the graduation as a surprise. By the time he came back, they'd worked out a plan where they would drive to the Johnstone's place, leave Kensi there and Phil and he would go to the Academy alone. Christine and the kids would bring Kensi in the rented handicap van later. She's also filled them in on her ability to stand and walk a few steps and they were thrilled for her and couldn't wait to see their friend's face when it happened. They presented it to him as a done deal and he went along, secretly relieved he wouldn't have to worry about her being alone while he was getting prepared for the ceremony. In addition, this fit nicely with the fact that the regulars had all agreed to meet at the coffee shop before graduation one last time, so they could say goodbye to Claire.

The evening went quickly, and soon it was time for him to take her back to the hospital. She would be discharged later in a couple weeks and they'd both head back home. Once back in L.A., Dr. Flanders had agreed she could she could do PT while living at home. It felt like it had been years since she'd lived anywhere but a hospital and she was a little nervous about it.

When they arrived at the hospital, Kyle was waiting for them. "You guys have a good time?" He asked as he helped Deeks get Kensi out of the van and into her chair.

"It was great! You know, Savannah is such a lovely city. I want to come back when I can explore it on my own two feet." Kensi replied.

"Well, when you do, look me up! I'll take you to all the best places the locals go to." Kyle smiled at her. He was going to miss her and Deeks when she was discharged, and knew he wasn't going to be the only one. He walked up to her room with them, talking about the things they'd seen during their stay and once she was settled in bed, he left them to say their goodbyes, telling Kensi he'd be back to check on her later.

Once alone, they looked at each other, for some odd reason feeling a bit awkward. Deeks finally couldn't stand it. "It's going to be weird to be back in L.A." He said quietly.

"I know. We've made good friends here and we'll miss them. But, most of them won't be here anyway. Besides, we have friends back home who miss us, you'll have a new old job and we have a new home to make our own."

"We do, don't we?" He smiled down at her. "So, what do you think Sam and Callen will say when I show up at the Mission with an NCIS badge?"

She wanted so bad to tell him that their L.A. family was going to be there to see him graduate but she knew it was going to be a surprise for the two agents, as well as for him, so she didn't want to spoil it. Instead, she teased him. "Maybe they'll ask you what crackerjack box you got it from."

He didn't smile in return. "Do you really think so?"

She blinked at him and then held out her hand which he took. "No, babe, I think that they'll be so proud of you and so excited to have you back on the team, this time as an agent that LAPD can't interfere with. You know that every time you were away on police business, we all worried about you."

"I know you did, but them?"

"Yes, them. Every time you were gone more than a day or two, Sam would watch the door to the Mission like a hawk. I even heard Callen ask Eric to hack into the L.A.P.D. database to check up on you the last time you were gone for a couple weeks."

"Really?"

She laughed and squeezed his hand. "Yes, really." The laugh turned into a yawn. She was doing so much better but today had been a long day and she was tired.

He leaned down and kissed her, then brushed the hair off her forehead. "Go to sleep. I'll be back in the morning." He said softly. She smiled up at him as she lost her fight to stay awake. He'd been a little worried about leaving her on her own the next day, but Christine and the kids had insisted that they'd make sure she was fine. Once again, he watched her sleep for a while. Tomorrow was going to be the start of a whole new future for them and he was looking forward to it, if a little nervous. He kissed her forehead lightly and made his way home.

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	18. Chapter 18

A/N – Well, this is the end. Hope it was worth the wait. As always, I don't own the characters except my OCs and I don't know much about the inner workings of NCIS. Google will only go so far and sometimes I get conflicting information. Therefore, I cherry picked what worked for me and I made some things up, like how/when new agents are posted to an office. Happy Thanksgiving! I'll be spending mine in Aruba!

A/N2 - Thanks to my guests reviewer (Michelle) who noticed an error in the cities I picked at the end. I waffled back and forth on the ending for some of my characters and had two sets in mind. I went one way and forgot to update the cities.

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Chapter 18

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Carrington hustled through the families clogging the auditorium, dodging people left and right. He'd heard through the grapevine that Director Vance was going to attend and wondered if he'd be able to get a word with him, let him know his feelings about Deeks being an agent before he got his grubby hands on a badge. He stopped short when he caught sight of the Director, talking with a tiny woman and a tall older man. His jaw almost dropped when he considered that this could be _the_ Henrietta Lange. The woman was legendary, both for her small stature and the many stories of her escapades over the years. He knew she was the Operations Manager at the Office of Special Projects, whose exploits were whispered about at the Academy. He took most of it with a grain of salt, knowing her reputation probably made the stories wilder than reality. Really? How many nuclear weapons were just lying around to be stolen? He changed directions, not wanting to talk to the Director with an audience. He'd just have to bide his time. He disappeared into the back where the graduating class waited. He didn't miss the fact that Deeks's group clustered around him as he approached. He sneered but didn't stop.

Phil watched him scurry away and shook his head. He turned to Deeks, who was trying not to laugh. "It's not all that funny, you know."

"Why not? He doesn't want to come near me, which is fine with me. He can't do a thing now, I've passed all my classes and the ceremony is only a formality."

"Not really. He could still hold up you getting your badge if he finds someone who'll listen to him." Charlie said worriedly as he watched the other agent make his way around the room, officiously instructing people on how to act and where to stand. Deeks wished he could tell them not to worry, and why, but didn't want to let that particular cat out of the bag just yet. He wanted to concentrate on enjoying the ceremony and the last hours with his friends. They'd all stopped at the coffee shop for one last time, as planned, exchanging numbers and information with Claire, who looked like she'd been about to burst into tears. When she'd got him alone and said how much she'd miss him, Deeks had responded that he'd see her again as he expected an invitation for him and Kensi to her wedding. She'd tearfully agreed, pulling him into another hug, stating the same. He'd prevaricated a bit on that, knowing he was going to ask again but that small part of him still wasn't sure if she'd say yes, this time either. They'd left with more hugs all around and headed up to the auditorium.

Sheppard, Henderson, Mac and Cora all made it a point to seek him out and congratulate him in Carrington's hearing, which had only set the other agent off and make him more determined than ever to speak with Vance. As the time approached, the graduates quieted down as it finally sank in that this was it. An admin went over the ceremony one more time, making sure each knew in what order they were to head out in. Phil would go first, with Deeks behind him. After that, it would be alphabetical. This was one of the larger groups to graduate, as attrition was usually higher, and they needed to move smartly. The class had only lost one trainee, which was unusual.

The two friends stood next to each other and didn't say a word. There was really no need. When the lights went down, the admin motioned to them. Over the loud speaker, they heard that the Director of NCIS would be handing out the badges for this particular class. A murmur went over the group as they all knew this was an honor. The Director didn't often come to the Academy, let personally congratulate the new agents and hand them their badges. Out in the audience, Sam and Callen exchanged glances, wondering what was so special about the newbies that had Vance going to all this trouble.

Nell and Eric were almost vibrating with excitement. The two agents frowned at him and Nell piped up. "He doesn't get out much." Eric looked at her in shock and she widened her eyes at him, warning him to get it under control without saying a word. The two still didn't know about Deeks or that Kensi was here. Between Deeks's friends and the L.A. group in the know, they'd made sure the two never caught sight of her. He made a conscious effort for control as Vance took the stage to a round of applause.

"Good afternoon. It's my pleasure to be here and congratulate one of the best classes to pass through this Academy. You should all be proud of them, as are we. We'll start with the two who were at the top of this exceptional class. From what I've heard, it was right down to the wire to see who would come out in first place. That honor goes to our first new agent, Phillip Johnstone." A round of applause shook the building as Phil walked out. He shook the Director's hand and accepted his badge. Looking out into the audience, he quickly found his family and smiled widely at them. Rebecca and Matthew held up a sign they'd made without him knowing. It said 'Congratulations to the best NCIS agent in the world. We love you dad!' He blushed a little but walked off with a silly smile on his face. Sam's jaw had dropped open when he recognized the man. He'd started at the name but expected it to be a coincidence and he was a little more enthusiastic than the rest of his team in their clapping.

"What gives, partner?" Callen whispered.

"I know him, G! He's a retired Seal I worked with more than once. He's good and would be an excellent addition to the team." Sam enthused back.

"Better than Deeks?"

"Hell no, but still, if it has to be someone other than him, it wouldn't be a bad thing for it to be someone at least one of us knows."

"We'll see." Callen felt a little frisson of jealousy and tamped it down. If Sam said the man would be a good fit, he'd give it a try.

They both turned their attention back to the stage where Vance had been handed another name and badge. He sought out the L.A. contingent as he wanted to see the looks on their faces when the next name was announced. "Second in class, by a _very_ small margin, please welcome Special Agent Martin Deeks." He wasn't let down when he saw the comical looks of disbelief and confusion on the faces of the two agents who had been a pain in his butt more than once. Still, they were the best of the best, even if he didn't always agree with their methods. The shock on their faces made it hard for him to maintain a straight face.

Deeks walked out and shook his hand. Sotto voce, Vance said. "I knew you wouldn't let us down, Deeks. Congratulations." They smiled at each other, Deeks took his badge and faced the crowd. When he spotted Granger and Hetty, he smiled. When he saw Nell and Eric, his smile got wider. That dimmed a little when he saw Sam and Callen staring up at the stage, both men with their arms crossed over their chests, identical forbidding looks on their faces. What were they doing here anyway? He knew he had Hetty to thank, or blame. This wasn't exactly how he wanted them to find out. He gulped a little and searched for Kensi. When he found her with the Johnstone's, his smile returned and then turned to shock as she stood up, clapping for all she was worth. He wanted nothing more than to jump down off the stage and rush to her side, asking her when, how and why hadn't she told him. Vance reached out and gently nudged him along. Blushing, he made his way off stage.

He hadn't made it far when he heard Carrington hiss at him. "How dare you embarrass this agency by trying to monopolize the ceremony!" He ignored him, walking on air as he replayed seeing his Kensi stand on her own. Carrington hissed at him again. "You're a disgrace!" This time he didn't let it go. He didn't need to take this anymore.

"Shove it Carrington." He said and turned to walk away.

"Don't you turn your back on me, you sorry excuse for a human being. You're an agent now and I'm your superior. I'll have you up on charges of insubordination! Enjoy that badge Deeks, it won't be yours for long." He fairly gloated as he waltzed away. Deeks watched him go in dismay.

"I heard the whole thing. If he actually dares to try to bring you up on charges, he'll have me to deal with!" He turned to find Mac standing at his side, looking daggers at Carrington's back as he strutted away.

"Thanks Mac."

"Congratulations Marty." She used his first name and smiled at him. Behind her, Lucas, Stefan and Cora joined them to add their congratulations.

"Thanks everyone. I want to tell you how honored I am to have been in your classes. You're all excellent teachers and I appreciate everything you've done, for all of us."

"You're welcome but you all made it easy. I don't think I've ever seen a class become as close as you lot, especially not that quickly." Cora said.

"Don't let Carrington worry you." Sheppard said. "I've been here far longer than him and if I have to, I'll speak to Director Vance himself on your behalf."

"I doubt it will go that far." Deeks said but worried that Vance would end up rethinking the whole 'Deeks as agent' scenario if people started asking for special favors for him.

"We'll see. Go join your friends and we'll see you at the after party." The cafeteria always held a party for the new agents, their friends and family. Deeks nodded and headed towards Phil in the waiting area, who immediately knew something was up.

"What's wrong? You should be walking on air like me, not looking like your best friend just died." He patted himself down. "Nope, still alive." Deeks laughed as expected, but his heart wasn't in it. Phil frowned. "Out with it, what's up?"

"I told Carrington to shove it when he accused me of trying to monopolize the ceremony. I wasn't, I was just in shock."

"Why?"

Finally, a real smile grew on his face. "Phil, Kensi stood up when I was announced. All on her own!"

"Really? That's great news! No wonder you were frozen."

"Yeah, well Carrington didn't let me explain and probably wouldn't care anyway." He filled Phil in on the whole conversation, including Mac's defense of him.

"I wouldn't worry about it. Mac's word is good, especially if it's against his."

"I know, I just don't need the drama. I've been an agent for, what?" He looked at his watch. "10 minutes and I'm already in trouble?"

Phil clapped him on the back. "You're always trying to one up me, aren't you? Come on, let's enjoy the rest of the ceremony." They stood and waited, clapping as each one of their classmates were introduced, congratulated and handed their badge. Eventually, everyone had had their moment and waited to be released. The lights had gone up in the audience and the room was emptying out. The admin had them all sign the appropriate paperwork and it was finally over. Where they were posted would be sent to them by the end of the next week but right now, they were official NCIS agents and it was time to head to the cafeteria to meet up with friends and family. Deeks just hoped Sam and Callen were over their apparent snit.

Inside, the two agents were watching the door intently, waiting for their ex-Liaison to come through it so they could pounce.

"Mr. Callen, Mr. Hanna, I do hope you aren't planning on giving Mr. Deeks any trouble over this?" Hetty asked.

Sam grinned. "Who? Us?"

"Yes, you. Mr. Deeks worked hard at this and has acquitted himself well."

"We know, we just want to mess with him a little." Callen said with a smile. Hetty sighed and shook her head, keeping an eye on the door herself as she sipped a glass of wine.

When Deeks walked through the door with his friends, things didn't go according to the agent's plans as Phil spotted Sam right away and strode over to him. "Sam Hanna! As I live and breathe, what are _you_ doing here?" He knew exactly what, as Deeks had told him ages ago that he knew Sam and that he was an NCIS agent.

"Phil, ah, good to see you! Congratulations on joining NCIS. We're pleased to have you join us."

"Good to know. So, what are you doing _here_ , at _this_ graduation?" He'd always enjoyed making Sam squirm.

"We were asked to come and assess a few of the new agents." Callen replied. He stuck out his hand. "Special Agent Grisha Callen. Sam's partner." Phil took it and did his own assessment, liking what he saw.

He turned to Deeks. "Sam, I think you know my friend, Marty?" Deeks smiled weakly and waved a hand.

"Yeah, we know him." Sam said, staring at Deeks, who stared back. He'd hoped they'd be proud of him, not angry. His heart dropped a little until the big man took pity on him. He clapped him on the back, practically knocking him down. "Congratulations Deeks, you finally did it!"

"Yeah, congratulations Deeks." Callen added.

Relieved, he grinned. "Thanks Sam, Callen."

Kensi wheeled up with a big smile on her face. "Were you surprised?" She asked.

He looked down at her, trying to maintain a straight face when all he wanted to do was lift her up and twirl her around. "I was. About a lot of things. Why didn't you tell me?"

Her smile became a little strained. "Because, I wanted to do this to surprise you." She locked the wheels and pushed herself up. Taking a few faltering steps, she walked into his arms which closed around her tightly as a smile lit up his face.

"God, Kens, I don't know what to say! I'm so happy right now I think I might burst." He hugged her tighter and she started to pant a little when she couldn't breathe. He loosened his hold but didn't let go completely as the rest of the team surrounded them, all talking at once. Phil looked on with a smile and then wandered off to find his family.

Eventually the dual congratulations died down and Callen turned to Deeks. "So, I take this to mean you'll be at the Mission on Monday, ready and able to go?"

Deeks figuratively bit the inside of his cheek, deciding to tease the senior agents a little, and replied seriously. "Who says I'll end up at OSP? I don't know where my assignment will be, I'm still waiting to hear. Could be I'll be an agent afloat."

Callen and Sam immediately rounded on Hetty and Granger, who were both smiling. "Very funny Deeks." Sam said, punching him the shoulder.

"Ow! I don't know if I want to work somewhere my teammates beat up on me."

"And I don't know if there are any one man offices Deeks." Callen chimed in as they all laughed. Kensi eventually sat back down as she was tiring and the two of them then made the rounds of his friends, making sure everyone exchanged numbers and promising to keep in touch. Charlie and Amanda, John and Sofia, were both kind of quiet and he knew they were feeling some pressure. The relationships were still pretty new, and he figured both couples were worried that they wouldn't survive being separated. He stared into space and wondered if he had any more leeway with his bosses to pull some more strings. He'd watched the two couples and knew Charlie and Amanda were the real deal. With John and Sofia, he didn't get the same vibe. He decided he'd mention it and see where it went. The worst that happened was Hetty or Granger said no.

They finally ended up with Phil and his family, the talk turning to the future and it was all Deeks could do not to tell him to stop worrying, that he wouldn't be far from Christine and the kids. Out of the corner of his eye, Phil saw Carrington edging up to Vance, who hadn't had a moment free since he walked in the door, and tensed. Apparently, Vance saw him too and turned to him.

"May I help you Agent…"

"Carrington, sir, Neal Carrington." He wasn't pleased the Director didn't know his name, unaware that the man knew exactly who he was and had a little surprise in store for him.

"What can I do for you Agent Carrington?"

"Sir, if I may, I'd like to request a moment of your time, on a private matter?" Vance had a good idea of what it was but didn't let on. He planned on teaching the teacher a little lesson. He'd delved into the agents past when his issue with Deeks had surfaced and he understood where the man was coming from. Losing any agent was never easy, but when it was a partner and friend, the pain never really went away. However, it didn't make it right for him to assume Deeks wasn't fit to carry a badge for NCIS, especially as the man had put his life on the line for his country over and over.

"Of course, I just want to finish up here and then I'll have a few minutes free. Join me?"

Carrington puffed up and joined him as they slowly made their way towards Deeks's group, Vance stopping to talk and shake hands as he went, Carrington making it a point to importantly add his two cents. Hetty took note and slowly edged her team towards Deeks. She didn't know what he had planned, but Leon could be a sneaky bastard. She watched as he greeted and congratulated the newly minted agents on his way, making it look like it was nothing special when he got to Deeks and Johnstone. He stopped first at Phil, Carrington glued to his side and looking self-satisfied.

"Congratulations again Agent Johnstone, on both becoming an agent and being first in your class." He held out his hand.

"Thank you, Director. Truthfully, it was a group effort. Everyone of us helped the other through training. They're a good group of people and NCIS should be proud to have _every_ _one_ of them onboard." He glared at Carrington who just smirked back, sure he had the upper hand.

"Oh, we are and thank you for your candor." He turned to Deeks and Kensi, catching the look of distaste on Carrington's face. He talked to Kensi first, patting her on the shoulder. "Kensi, it's good to see you looking so well." If Phil's jaw dropped open, it was nothing compared to the expression on Carrington's face.

"Thank you, Director. I'm hoping to be back on duty in the very near future."

"I have no doubt. And congratulations on shocking your partner. I don't think I've ever seen Marty too surprised to speak!" He deliberately used Deeks's first name, something he'd never done before. Hetty and Granger exchanged smirks while the rest of the OSP team also watched with open mouths. Finally turning to Deeks, Vance held out his hand. "Well Marty, it only took you nine years, but welcome aboard! Your team has been…restless…since you left." Restless, combative, antagonistic, the list went on in his head.

"Um, thank you Director. I'm looking forward to working with them again." He avoided Carrington's eyes.

Noting the rest of the team standing behind them, Vance nodded. "Hetty, Owen, glad to see the whole team is here to support Marty." Pretending he hadn't been in on it the whole time.

"I could hardly leave them in L.A., Leon. I would never have heard the end of it. Mr. Deeks is very important to them, to all of us."

"I'm well aware of that. That's why these four is one of the best teams we have." He laid it on thick, watching the eyes practically bug out of Carrington's head off to his left, feeling a deep satisfaction at the sight. "It will be good to have them back together again. Their support is sorely missed." He turned to the man at his side who appeared to have shrunk several inches. "Agent Carrington allow me to introduce you." He turned and began the introductions.

"Henrietta Lange, Operations Manager of the Office of Special Projects." Hetty inclined her head but didn't offer her hand, her face inscrutable.

"Owen Granger, Assistant Director in charge of OSP." Owen also nodded his head, but he didn't hide his disdain quite as well.

"Agents Sam Hanna, Grisha Callen and Kensi Blye, OSP's premier team." Sam and Callen knew something was going on but weren't sure what. They took their cue from their bosses and nodded their heads as well, also not offering their hands. Kensi just pursed her lips.

"Technical Analysts Eric Beale and Nell Jones, OSP's best kept secret weapon." The two analysts blushed a little but neither made a move to offer a hand, aware of the man's actions over the last few months.

Turning to Deeks so that his face was hidden from Carrington, Vance winked, shocking Deeks into silence once again. Twice in one day was pretty much a record for him. The Director inclined his head towards Carrington. "And, of course, you already know Agent Martin Deeks, former LAPD Liaison to OSP and its newest field agent. Marty has pretty much been an acting federal agent for the last nine years, now he's official and we're all damn proud of him."

Deeks took pity on the man as it looked like he was about to expire from a heart attack. "Yes, I've had the pleasure of meeting Agent Carrington and taking a class with him." He held out his hand. "Agent Carrington, it's good to see you."

Carrington took it automatically, surprised that Deeks had offered. In fact, he'd been the only one of the group to do so and he started to think he'd made a huge mistake with his assumptions. Still, the fact that the man whose life he'd made miserable, was behaving like nothing had happened between them, rankled a little bit. His "shove it" echoed in his head and made it worse. He dropped the hand quickly and stepped back without saying anything. Unnoticed amongst the drama going on, Mac, Stefan, Cora and Sheppard had joined the outskirts of the group just as Vance had introduced Deeks and the four shared a look, frowns on their faces, wondering if they'd been used.

Hetty saw them and turned. "Miss. MacDougall, Mr. Sheppard, Mr. Henderson. Good to see you again."

"Hetty, good to see you too." Mac replied as she took the outstretched hand without asking any of the questions that were foremost in her mind. Stefan just smiled and shook her hand as well.

Sheppard wasn't so reticent. "Hetty, do I understand from what Director Vance just said that Deeks has pretty much been an agent for the last several years?" His anger was near the surface and noticeable. Sam and Callen tensed and moved to flank Deeks.

"Yes, but he refused to allow us to assist him in any way or to allow us to waive any classes we felt he shouldn't have to take due to his prior service. He was determined he would pass his classes and become an agent just like any other trainee, with no special treatment from anyone. In fact, no one from his team, other than Miss. Blye, was even aware that he was in the program. He's a stubborn one, our Mr. Deeks." She smiled at them.

Lucas had to smile, knowing just how stubborn the man could be and glad that he it wasn't some kind of ruse. "He is at that and I know he'll be a damn good agent." He turned and offered his hand to Deeks who looked relieved.

"Thanks Agent Sheppard."

"It's Lucas, now that you're an agent."

"Lucas then, as long as you call me Marty." He looked at the four instructors that had had his back. "That goes for all of you. And Mac, you said to ask you again after the program was over, so I expect you to join us for drinks later." He smiled at them. "All of you. Some of us are going to a bar to do some last celebrating before we're broken up to different postings. Hope you can all make it." Everyone nodded, and plans were made. The group broke up as the instructors began to make their way towards others they'd trained, intent on offering their congratulations once again. Carrington, however, appeared frozen.

Vance turned to him. "Well, that's done. I believe you wanted a few minutes for a private conversation Agent Carrington? I appear to be free at the moment."

The man swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, that's quite alright Director. What I wanted to discuss with you has already been resolved." He was still convinced Deeks didn't deserve to be an agent, but he had a finely-honed sense of self preservation. If Deeks was protected as high up as the Director of the agency, he knew this battle was lost. The war, however, was not over. He'd be keeping an eye on this man who'd disrespected him, totally missing the irony concerning his own lack of respect and suspect behavior. He'd pounce the moment he heard anything that could be used against him, even if it meant going over Vance's head, directly to SECNAV. His thoughts might have taken a different tack if he'd known the current SECNAV was aware of Deeks, and how well the oddly formed team performed, and heartily approved. He nodded to the group and headed off, his confidence returning with each step he took further away from the people behind him. Deeks had pulled the wool over all their eyes, and it was up to him to remove it. They watched him go, with very different thoughts in their own heads.

When he was finally swallowed up by the crowds, Callen turned to look at Deeks, taking in Vance, Hetty and Granger as well. "Anyone care to explain what that was all about?" He wasn't stupid, he'd caught the tension in the air and raised an eyebrow at them. Sam crossed his arms over his chest, backing up his partner.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about Agent Callen. It's over and done with." Vance responded, although his thoughts were not as sure as his words, deciding that he would continue to keep an eye on the agent. He also decided he'd be looking into other classes to see if any unexpected drop outs could be attributable to the presumptuous little man.

"Deeks?" Sam asked.

"Nothing to worry about Sam, it's all good."

"Right." Sam eyed Eric and Nell, who both looked guilty. He decided to bide his time and see if he could get it out of Eric, who was easy to bully into telling him things he shouldn't. He may make fun of Deeks, he may tease him about his abilities, but he knew the man made the team better. That he brought skills with him that still surprised the two senior agents at times. No one else was allowed to intrude on that and the other agent had best watch his back if he tried anything that harmed Deeks and, by extension, the team.

Talk turned to their surprise that Deeks had been in the program all this time and managed to keep it from them. They all exchanged stories of training and the things they'd learned, comparing instructors and constantly telling their newest agent how proud they were of him. For all his outward posturing, Deeks wasn't really happy to be the center of this kind of attention and maneuvered the talk around to the excitement of Kensi being so much further along in her recovery than they'd thought. The team was getting closer to being whole again and the relief was palpable.

Eventually, it was time to go. Deeks and Kensi would be joining the rest of the team for dinner at the borrowed home, which had turned out to be a ten room mansion right on the shore. They found the rest of Deeks's crew and took their leave, firming up plans for later that evening. The group from L.A. watched the interactions of the close-knit group and most felt a varying degree of jealousy, hard pressed not to notice that Deeks was the center. He was theirs and had been for years. The thought that they may have been supplanted in his life, was not something they wanted to contemplate.

They all trooped out to the parking lot and there were several moments of pushing and shoving as Sam, Callen and Deeks fought to help Kensi into the van, with much good-natured laughter. When she was finally ensconced in the front seat and the wheelchair was strapped in, Sam hopped into the driver's seat before Deeks could, stating he knew where they were going and Deeks could just sit in the back, where he belonged. Pretending to chafe at the age-old seating arrangements, he really wasn't upset to being relegated to the back. This felt familiar. This felt like home.

~,~,~,~,~

Dinner was a relaxed and delicious affair as they sat on the deck of the beautiful house, overlooking the ocean. It was catered by the chef of one of the most prestigious restaurants in the area as the man was apparently a close friend of Hetty's and felt he owed her something. What the something was, was never revealed. When it was over and time for them to leave to meet Deeks's friends, Hetty and Granger declined and watched the younger agents gear up to leave, with varying degrees of fondness. When they were finally gone, and peace settled over them, Hetty quietly got up and left for a moment, leaving Owen to stare out at the moon on the water. She returned shortly with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. Pouring the amber liquid, she handed one to him and settled into a chair next to him.

They were silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts as they sipped their drinks. Finally, Owen turned to her. "Do you think that's the end of Carrington and his interference?"

"Truthfully? No, I don't. I think we need to keep our eyes and ears open. I know Leon feels the same." Owen nodded. Neither had been fooled by the Director's statement that the affair was over. With the comfortableness of old friends/enemies, the two sat and quietly talked of times past as they watched the moon ride the waves.

They'd decided to take just the van to the bar as it was large enough for all of them. This time Sam let Deeks drive after the ex-detective had thrown his own words back at him about knowing where he was going. They took the secondary seats, with Sam whining loudly about dog hair amidst much laughter. Nell and Eric sat in the back and drank it all in. The family was back together, and their world was finally settling back into its correct orbit.

They were one of the last groups to arrive and were welcomed warmly. The evening went by quickly as everyone tried to make the best of their last time together. Deeks and Kensi pulled their L.A. friends from group to group, introducing them but not making a big deal of them working for NCIS. They fit in well and it seemed like no one wanted to leave. When the bar finally announced last call, more than one person was surprised. The parking lot became a last minute opportunity to say a final goodbye to new friends and reiterate promises to stay in touch. Deeks and his group were the last to leave as it seemed like everyone gravitated back to him and Kensi multiple times. Eventually, they were the last ones waving goodbye and it was time to head back with Eric behind the wheel this time as designated driver.

It was decided that Kensi and Deeks should stay at the borrowed house for the night instead of making the long way home so late. Monty was already being taken care of by the dog sitter so they didn't need to worry about him. They quietly entered, with giggled shushes, only to find Hetty and Granger still up and in the same place on the deck, although the bottle of scotch was now severely depleted. They all joined them, and the celebration continued quietly as Deeks's new badge was passed from hand to hand. The expected teasing about crackerjack and cereal boxes was voiced, followed by sincere words of congratulations. Very early in the morning, one by one they drifted off to bed with quiet goodnights.

Sunday morning, everyone packed their things and did a quick once over of the house, cleaning up this, that putting away, determined to leave it in a good shape as it had been when they'd arrived. Done, they piled into the two rental cars to head home, Kensi and Deeks to the hospital, the rest to Hunter Airfield to catch the 1100 scheduled transport that would fly them back to L.A. Granger drove the SUV containing the agents he had come to think of as his team, as it followed the van up the highway. He surprised them all when he honked a goodbye as he peeled off at his exit, leaving the van to continue its way. A responding beep, beep was heard as the two groups went their separate ways. It was kind of a sad sound but, soon enough, they would all be together again.

~,~,~,~,~

Phil stared at the email from NCIS in his inbox. This was it. This was his assignment and he didn't want to open it. What if he was assigned miles from home instead of close like he'd requested? Or worse? Agent afloat where he'd only be able to contact his family at random times, never knowing where in the world he might end up. What had he been thinking? He second guessed his career choice as his hand hovered over the mouse, refusing to obey his commands to open it. He'd only been home for a few days, reacclimating to it, friends and family in and out, congratulating him on his new status and it hadn't really sunk in until he'd opened his email account. He swallowed hard and almost leapt out of his chair when a hand landed on his shoulder.

Looking up, he smiled sickly at his wife. She shook her head and smiled back. "Wherever they assign you, we'll deal with it as a family. Just like we always have." She put her hand over his and maneuvered the cursor over the email and they double clicked together. Reading it, there was silence for a moment before Phil exploded from the chair, grabbed her and swung her around.

"Devens! I got Devens!" He crowed. She laughed, and the kids came running at the noise. Seeing their dad and mom so happy lifted a weight off both their shoulders as they realized their dad was home for good.

~,~,~,~,~

Charlie's phone rang, and the caller id said it was Amanda. He took a deep breath, knowing why she was calling. The assignments for their class had come out today and they had promised to let the other know as soon as they got theirs. Their current homes were fairly far apart as he lived in Iowa and she in Oregon, but there was nothing really holding either of them there. NCIS tried to make sure that agents weren't forced too far from home unless they indicated they were open to being posted anywhere. He'd checked the box stating he'd accept any posting, anywhere in the world, as he had no close family left, but that had been before he'd met her.

She still had family, but they were scattered to the winds. Her parents had divorced when she was young, her mom had remarried and started a new family that she'd never really fit in with, so she'd lived with her dad. Sadly, he'd died several years ago. That had led to her checking the same box. The chances they'd end up near each other was pretty slim, if nonexistent. When they'd talked about their future, they'd agreed to try long distance after they got their orders and see where things went. He'd just found out he'd been assigned to the Northwest field office in Silverdale WA.

He nodded his head and answered. "Hey babe. I got Silverdale. What did you get?" He asked without letting her even say hello. There was silence on the other end and his heart sank. Would their relationship survive long distance or were they destined to drift apart?

Finally able to speak, Amanda squeaked out. "I got Kitsap Naval base in Bremerton WA! Charlie, do you know what this means?"

"Of course I do! It means we need to find a place about halfway between."

"You mean, move in together?"

He paused at the hesitation in her voice. "Only if you want to. Maybe, we can both get our own place, but close together, and see where that leads. See where we stand in a year or so?"

"No, no, let's go for it! Let's find someplace we both like. Maybe…maybe we could get a dog?"

"I love dogs! And I…I love you." It was the first time he'd said the words out loud to her, knowing some would think it was too soon, but the truth was he'd known after their first real date. For some reason, now felt right.

"I love you too." She responded softly. They settled in to make plans, neither knowing that Deeks had had a hand in their postings, offering up another promise which Hetty took great pleasure in accepting.

~,~,~,~,~

One of the things that had drawn John and Sofia together was their common home state of Florida, although they'd grown up on different coasts. Both still had strong family ties in the area and had requested postings as close to home as possible, although they both knew possible was strongly stressed. They'd come together later than Charlie and Amanda and neither was really sure if the other was 'the one', although both had wanted to see where it went.

John read his email and nodded, pleased with assignment in Mayport FL. It wasn't all that far from home, on the correct coast and he'd be able to visit for the holidays without too much trouble. His phone rang, and he didn't bother to check the caller id before answering.

"Hello?"

"John, it's Sofia. Did you get your assignment?"

"Yeah, Pensacola. You?"

"Panama City Beach! I'll be less than an hour from my folks!"

"Congratulations!" There was silence as they both registered that they were happy with their assignments, even though they were posted on opposite sides of the state. He knew this was probably the beginning of the end and felt only a fleeting sadness for something left unfinished. His confidence had grown with the help of his class and of this woman, for which he'd always be grateful. "We'll keep in touch, right?"

"Of course. We're only a few hours from each other and can visit when we have some free time." It felt false to both of them, but neither was overly devastated. They would make an effort but then the length of time between contact would dwindle and they'd each become a fond memory for the other. Deeks had seen this and hadn't pushed on their assignments once he'd been told both wanted to be close to family. He'd used what little influence he had left to make sure that happened, even though he knew it would most likely spell the end of them.

They chatted for a few more minutes and finally hung up with half meant promises, both already onto different things once the connection was broken.

~,~,~,~,~

Kensi was discharged from the hospital eight days after Deeks's graduation. The hospital staff had a small party for them, wishing them well and letting them know both would be missed. Kyle was true to his word and gave them his contact information and they reciprocated. They both agreed that they wanted to come back to Savannah in the near future, but it would depend on how things went with Kensi and with work.

They flew home on another private jet, another friend of Hetty's whose plane just happened to be flying important documents from Georgia to L.A., at exactly the right time. The trip home was filled with anticipation and the crew made more of Monty than they did of their two guests. The dog lapped it all up, sitting like a king in one of the leather chairs, patted and made much of, the human guests a secondary thought. Something that amused both of them no end. The limo waiting for them whisked them home from the airport, both surprised when it wasn't Kensi's place or Callen's but instead to their new home.

They sat in the car and stared at the house in shock. The yard was pristine, and the windows shone like diamonds. The door opened, and their team spilled onto the porch, Hetty and Granger sauntering out behind them. They waited while the driver opened the door and then there were hands everywhere helping Kensi step out on her own. The wheelchair was lifted from the trunk but ignored, everyone seeming to know without it being said, that she wanted to walk into her new home on her own. Deeks placed her hand in the crook of his arm, giving her someone to hold onto and they slowly made their way up the front walkway, Sam and Callen hovering protectively in case they were needed.

Inside, everything was as it had been when they left, but was sparkling clean, not a dust mote anywhere. Eric showed off the state of art alarm system he'd installed while they were gone. Sam made suggestions for renovations for the outdated house and offered his do-it-yourself help. Both were overwhelmed as they took it all in. Callen quietly brought the wheelchair in and Kensi sank into it gratefully. The somewhat heavy atmosphere was broken when Monty barked at the French doors to the back yard. Deeks let him out and everyone began to laugh as the dog ran laps around the yard, stopping suddenly here and there to do some serious sniffing and then taking off again. Eventually he ran out of steam and flopped down in a spot of sun, stretched out fully and was instantly asleep.

It was then that Deeks noticed the new grill with the big red bow on it. He stroked it a little and didn't know what to say. Sam clapped him on the shoulder. "That's a house warming gift from G and me. No homeowner should be without one."

Callen strolled up and added. "We brought enough food for an army. What say we break this puppy in?"

"I hope you don't think you're going to cook?" Sam looked askance at his partner.

"Why not? I'm a good cook!"

"Uh huh. The last burgers I ate that you cooked, could have moonlighted as hockey pucks."

"I like them well done! Just because you like yours still mooing…"

"There's well done and then there's well done!"

"I'll have you know that…"

Both men silenced when they were shoved aside by Granger. "Your arguments are of no consequence as I'll be doing the cooking."

All that accomplished was more people in the argument. In the kitchen, he could hear Hetty and Nell arguing the best way to cook corn on the cob. Deeks left them to it and wandered over to Kensi to see how she was doing, finding her watching their team with a funny look on her face.

"What's up Kensalina?"

"I missed this. I didn't realize how much until right this minute." She said quietly.

"The arguments?" He teased.

She reached up and gripped his hand. "No, family."

"Speaking of family." Deeks replied, swallowing hard. "Would you be the start of mine?" His voice was low and his heart beating hard as he pulled her engagement ring from his pocket.

~,~,~,~,~

Nurse Susan Jones opened the door to the waiting room and looked at the paper in her hand. "Mr. Roberts? Mark Roberts?" She smiled at the man who stood up and headed her way, noting the bandage on his right hand. "Oh, what happened there?'

Mark looked down at his hand and said quietly. "Dog bite."

"I'm sorry. I hope everything is okay with it?"

"Yeah, clean bill of health." Making an effort, he smiled and added. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Right this way." She opened one of the first doors and stood aside for him to walk in, but he hesitated. Used to this with new patients, she said softly. "It will be fine, go on in." He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath then stepped inside. She softly closed it behind him as the man behind the desk stood up.

Holding out his hand, the man spoke. "Mr. Roberts? I'm Dr. Zachary Evans. It's good to meet you." Mark took the proffered hand and shook it. "Would you like to take a seat? Anywhere you want is fine." The doctor indicated the various seating options in the room and he stared at the couch. Moving as far away from it as he could, he chose an armchair close to the window. The doctor smiled and sat in the matching one opposite it.

"Now, why don't you fill me in on what brought you here today?"

~,~,~,~,~


End file.
